Antioxidant defense in plants during RNA virus infection: the role of key enzymes
Antioxidant defense in plants during RNA virus infection
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31489/2026feb3/152-169Keywords:
oxidative stress, plant antioxidant system, viral infection, plant immunityAbstract
In recent decades, the problem of resistance of agricultural crops to biotic stressors has acquired particular relevance in the context of ensuring global food security. Among biotic factors, viral infections occupy a special position, causing significant yield losses and disrupting the physiological processes of plants. RNA viruses are characterized by high adaptability and the capacity to effectively modify the cellular metabolism of the host, a process accompanied by disruption of redox homeostasis. The generation of reactive oxygen species constitutes one of the key stages of this process and is characterized by functional duality, whereby reactive oxygen species act as signaling molecules that initiate defense responses, while their excessive accumulation leads to damage of cellular components. Alterations in redox homeostasis are accompanied by activation of the plant antioxidant system, which encompasses both enzymatic and non-enzymatic defense mechanisms. Despite considerable advances in the study of redox processes in plants, the integration of redox regulation mechanisms and the functioning of the antioxidant system under conditions of viral infection remains insufficiently described to date and requires further analysis. In this regard, the aim of the present review is to systematize and analyze current understanding of the role of reactive oxygen species and key enzymes of the antioxidant system in the regulation of the immune response in plants infected with RNA viruses.
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