Plant Peptides Involved in Abiotic and Biotic Stress Responses and Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Signaling

Plants are constantly exposed to a wide range of stress situations, such as biotic stressors caused by pathogenic microbes and herbivores, as well as abiotic stress factors like drought, salinity, and severe temperature. Plants have developed an intricate and sophisticated network of molecular signaling in response to various stresses that allow them to recognize and respond to challenging circumstances. Plant peptides have emerged as key participants in orchestrating biotic and abiotic stress responses, as well as taking part in signaling pathways for reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS play a key role as secondary messengers in stress signaling and include chemicals, including superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, and singlet oxygen. This exhaustive review investigates the multiple functions of plant peptides in ROS signaling and stress responses and clarifies the interaction between plant peptide-mediated stress responses and ROS signaling. We have highlighted several plant peptide classes such as defense peptides, antimicrobial peptides and signaling peptides that contribute to the complex interaction between abiotic and biotic stress response pathways. A thorough overview of the complex regulatory network that permits plants to flourish under demanding environmental conditions is presented by synthesizing recent gains in our knowledge of the functions of plant peptides in stress responses and ROS signaling. We have also highlighted the fact that knowledge of such peptide-mediated signaling may be used for crop improvement that would increase agricultural sustainability and stress tolerance, ultimately boosting food security and environmental resilience on a global scale.