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Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2007; 9(5): 589-595
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-965433
Review Article

Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart KG · New York

Significance of Plant Sulfite Oxidase

R. Hänsch1 , C. Lang1 , H. Rennenberg2 , R. R. Mendel1
  • 1Department of Plant Biology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Humboldtstraße 1, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
  • 2Institute of Forest Botany and Tree Physiology, Chair of Tree Physiology, University of Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 053/054, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
Further Information

Publication History

Received: July 28, 2006

Accepted: April 23, 2007

Publication Date:
13 September 2007 (online)

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Abstract

Sulfite oxidizing activities are known since years in animals, microorganisms, and also plants. Among plants, the only enzyme well characterized on molecular and biochemical level is the molybdoenzyme sulfite oxidase (SO). It oxidizes sulfite using molecular oxygen as electron acceptor, leading to the production of sulfate and hydrogen peroxide. The latter reaction product seems to be the reason why plant SO is localized in peroxisomes, because peroxisomal catalase is able to decompose hydrogen peroxide. On the other hand, we have indications for an additional reaction taking place in peroxisomes: sulfite can be nonenzymatically oxidized by hydrogen peroxide. This will promote the detoxification of hydrogen peroxide especially in the case of high amounts of sulfite. Hence we assume that SO could possibly serve as “safety valve” for detoxifying excess amounts of sulfite and protecting the cell from sulfitolysis. Supportive evidence for this assumption comes from experiments where we fumigated transgenic poplar plants overexpressing Arabidopsis SO with SO2 gas. In this paper, we try to explain sulfite oxidation in its co-regulation with sulfate assimilation and summarize other sulfite oxidizing activities described in plants. Finally we discuss the importance of sulfite detoxification in plants.

Key words

Molybdoenzyme - hydrogen peroxide - sulfite oxidase - sulfitolysis - SO2

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R. Hänsch

Department of Plant Biology
Technical University of Braunschweig

Humboldtstraße 1

38106 Braunschweig

Germany

Email: r.haensch@tu-bs.de

Guest Editor: T. Rausch