Hydrogen-rich water confers plant tolerance to mercury toxicity in alfalfa seedlings

Carbon Monoxide Is Involved in Hydrogen Gas-Induced Adventitious Root Development in Cucumber under Simulated Drought Stress

Hydrogen gas (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO) are involved in plant growth and developmental processes and may induce plant tolerance to several stresses. However, the independent roles and interaction effect of H2 and CO in adventitious root development under drought conditions have still not received the needed research attention. We hypothesize that there exists crosstalk between H2 and CO during adventitious root development under drought stress. The results of our current study revealed that 50% (v/v) hydrogen-rich water (HRW), 500 μM Hemin (the CO donor) and 30% (w/v) CO aqueous solution apparently promoted the development of adventitious roots in cucumber explants (Cucumis Sativus L.) under drought stress. H2 and CO increased relative water content (RWC), leaf chlorophyll content (chlorophyll a, b, and a+b), and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters [photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (PSII), PSII actual photochemical efficiency and photochemical quench coefficient] under drought condition. When the CO scavenger hemoglobin (Hb) or zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPPIX) was added to HRW/CO aqueous solution, the positive effect of HRW/CO aqueous solution on RWC, leaf chlorophyll content, and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were reversed. Additionally, superoxide dismutases, peroxidase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase was significantly increased in the explants treated with HRW and CO aqueous solution under drought stress, thus alleviating oxidative damage, as indicated by decreases in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and superoxide radical (O2-) levels. H2 and CO also improved the levels of water soluble carbohydrate, total soluble protein, and proline content. However, the above CO/H2-mediated effects were reversed by CO scavenger Hb or CO specific synthetic inhibitor ZnPPIX. Therefore, CO may be involved in H2-induced adventitious rooting under drought stress and alleviate oxidative damage by enhancing RWC, leaf chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, metabolic constituent content, activating anti-oxidant enzymes and reducing TBARS, O2-, and H2O2 levels.

Linking hydrogen-mediated boron toxicity tolerance with improvement of root elongation, water status and reactive oxygen species balance: a case study for rice

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Boron is essential for plant growth but hazardous when present in excess. As the antioxidant properties of hydrogen gas (H2) were recently described in plants, oxidative stress induced by excess boron was investigated along with other biological responses during rice (Oryza sativa) seed germination to study the beneficial role of H2 METHODS: Rice seeds were pretreated with exogenous H2 Using physiological, pharmacological and molecular approaches, the production of endogenous H2, growth status, reactive oxygen species (ROS) balance and relative gene expression in rice were measured under boron stress to investigate mechanisms of H2-mediated boron toxicity tolerance.

KEY RESULTS

In our test, boron-inhibited seed germination and seedling growth, and endogenous H2 production, were obviously blocked by exogenously applying H2 The re-establishment of ROS balance was confirmed by reduced lipid peroxidation and ROS accumulation. Meanwhile, activities of catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POX) were increased. Suppression of pectin methylesterase (PME) activity and downregulation of PME transcripts by H2 were consistent with the alleviation of root growth inhibition caused by boron. Water status was improved as well. This result was confirmed by the upregulation of genes encoding specific aquaporins (AQPs), the maintenance of low osmotic potential and high content of soluble sugar. Increased transcription of representative AQP genes (PIP2;7 in particular) and BOR2 along with decreased BOR1 mRNA may contribute to lowering boron accumulation.

CONCLUSIONS

Hydrogen provides boron toxicity tolerance mainly by improving root elongation, water status and ROS balance.

Transcriptome Analysis of mRNA and miRNA in Somatic Embryos of Larix leptolepis Subjected to Hydrogen Treatment

Hydrogen is a therapeutic antioxidant that has been used extensively in clinical trials. It also acts as a bioactive molecule that can alleviate abiotic stress in plants. However, the biological effects of hydrogen in somatic embryos and the underlying molecular basis remain largely unknown. In this study, the morphological and physiological influence of exogenous H₂ treatment during somatic embryogenesis was characterized in Larix leptolepis Gordon. The results showed that exposure to hydrogen increased the proportions of active pro-embryogenic cells and normal somatic embryos. We sequenced mRNA and microRNA (miRNA) libraries to identify global transcriptome changes at different time points during H₂ treatment of larch pro-embryogenic masses (PEMs). A total of 45,393 mRNAs and 315 miRNAs were obtained. Among them, 4253 genes and 96 miRNAs were differentially expressed in the hydrogen-treated libraries compared with the control. Further, a large number of the differentially expressed mRNAs and miRNAs were related to reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis and cell cycle regulation. We also identified 4399 potential target genes for 285 of the miRNAs. The differential expression data and the mRNA-miRNA interaction network described here provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms that determine the performance of PEMs exposed to H₂ during somatic embryogenesis.

Nitric oxide is involved in hydrogen gas-induced cell cycle activation during adventitious root formation in cucumber

BACKGROUND

Adventitious root development is a complex process regulated through a variety of signaling molecules. Hydrogen gas (H2) and nitric oxide (NO), two new signaling molecules are both involved in plant development and stress tolerance.

RESULTS

To investigate the mechanism of adventitious root development induced by hydrogen-rich water (HRW), a combination of fluorescence microscopy and molecular approaches was used to study cell cycle activation and cell cycle-related gene expression in cucumber (Cucumis sativus 'Xinchun 4') explants. The results revealed that the effect of HRW on adventitious root development was dose-dependent, with maximal biological responses at 50 % HRW. HRW treatment increased NO content in a time-dependent fashion. The results also indicated that HRW and NO promoted the G1-to-S transition and up-regulated cell cycle-related genes: CycA (A-type cyclin), CycB (B-type cyclin), CDKA (cyclin-dependent kinase A) and CDKB (cyclin-dependent kinase B) expression. Additionally, target genes related to adventitious rooting were up-regulated by HRW and NO in cucumber explants. While, the responses of HRW-induced adventitious root development and increase of NO content were partially blocked by a specific NO scavenger 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide potassium salt, NO synthase (NOS)-like enzyme inhibitor N(G) -nitro-L-arginine methylester hydrochloride, or nitrate reductase inhibitors tungstate and NaN3. These chemicals also partially reversed the effect of HRW on cell cycle activation and the transcripts of cell cycle regulatory genes and target genes related adventitious root formation.

CONCLUSIONS

Together, NO may emerge as a downstream signaling molecule in H2-induced adventitious root organogenesis. Additionally, H2 mediated cell cycle activation via NO pathway during adventitious root formation.

A positive role for hydrogen gas in adventitious root development

Our recent study highlights the role of hydrogen gas (H2) in adventitious root development in cucumber. H2 is an effective gaseous signal molecule with the abilities to regulate plant growth and development and enhance plant resistance to environmental stimulus. In addition, the effect of H2 on fruit senescence and flowering time also has been reported. Adventitious root development is a critical step in plant vegetative propagation affected by a serious of signaling molecules, such as auxin, nitric oxide (NO), carbon oxide (CO), ethylene and Ca(2+). Observational evidence has shown that H2 can regulate adventitious root development in a dose-dependent manner. H2 may regulate HO-1/CO pathway through or not through NO pathway during adventitious rooting. Rooting-related enzymes, peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, indoleacetic acid oxidase were required for H2-induced adventitious root. CsDNAJ-1, CsCPDK1/5, CsCDC6, CsAUX228-like, and CsAUX22D-like genes also were involved in this process.

Nitric oxide is required for hydrogen gas-induced adventitious root formation in cucumber

Hydrogen gas (H2) is involved in plant development and stress responses. Cucumber explants were used to study whether nitric oxide (NO) is involved in H2-induced adventitious root development. The results revealed that 50% and 100% hydrogen-rich water (HRW) apparently promoted the development of adventitious root in cucumber. While, the responses of HRW-induced adventitious rooting were blocked by a specific NO scavenger 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide potassium salt (cPTIO), NO synthase (NOS) enzyme inhibitor N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methylester hydrochloride (l-NAME) and nitrate reductase (NR) inhibitor NaN3. HRW also increased NO content and NOS and NR activity both in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. Moreover, molecular evidence showed that HRW up-regulated NR genes expression in explants. The results indicate the importance of NOS and NR enzymes, which might be responsible for NO production in explants during H2-induced root organogenesis. Additionally, peroxidase (POD) and indoleacetic acid oxidase (IAAO) activity was significantly decreased in the explants treated with HRW, while HRW treatment significantly increased polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity. In addition, cPTIO, l-NAME and NaN3 inhibited the actions of HRW on the activity of these enzymes. Together, NO may be involved in H2-induced adventitious rooting, and NO may be acting downstream in plant H2 signaling cascade.

Beneficial biological effects and the underlying mechanisms of molecular hydrogen - comprehensive review of 321 original articles

Therapeutic effects of molecular hydrogen for a wide range of disease models and human diseases have been investigated since 2007. A total of 321 original articles have been published from 2007 to June 2015. Most studies have been conducted in Japan, China, and the USA. About three-quarters of the articles show the effects in mice and rats. The number of clinical trials is increasing every year. In most diseases, the effect of hydrogen has been reported with hydrogen water or hydrogen gas, which was followed by confirmation of the effect with hydrogen-rich saline. Hydrogen water is mostly given ad libitum. Hydrogen gas of less than 4 % is given by inhalation. The effects have been reported in essentially all organs covering 31 disease categories that can be subdivided into 166 disease models, human diseases, treatment-associated pathologies, and pathophysiological conditions of plants with a predominance of oxidative stress-mediated diseases and inflammatory diseases. Specific extinctions of hydroxyl radical and peroxynitrite were initially presented, but the radical-scavenging effect of hydrogen cannot be held solely accountable for its drastic effects. We and others have shown that the effects can be mediated by modulating activities and expressions of various molecules such as Lyn, ERK, p38, JNK, ASK1, Akt, GTP-Rac1, iNOS, Nox1, NF-κB p65, IκBα, STAT3, NFATc1, c-Fos, and ghrelin. Master regulator(s) that drive these modifications, however, remain to be elucidated and are currently being extensively investigated.