Reactive oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur species cellular crosstalk

Accumulating data highlight the fact that nitric oxide (NO), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) act as intercellular key signaling molecules in plants. These molecules act in a well-orchestrated manner that regulates cells redox balance, with a tight control over their generation, accumulation, quenching, and signaling activity, via an intricate interaction. H2S participates to the control of ROS-induced stress syndromes at various levels, causing the regulation of ROS-mediated processes via transcriptional or posttranslational modifications. This crosstalk between ROS and H2S also engages the participation of NO. All these molecules, depending upon their concentration, may act in synergy or in an antagonistic manner manipulating signaling cascades that prevent or favor plant damage. This crosstalk between ROS, H2S, and NO controls each other's enzymatic production and the functionality of key enzymes via the modification of thiol containing proteins, by causing oxidation, S-nitrosation, or persulfidation. Clarifying aspects of the crosstalk between these signaling molecules would enable the manipulation of the series of events that occur within plant cells under physiological and stress conditions and lead to better postharvest handling of agricultural products.