Unraveling the protective role of sulfide signaling in plants against climate-induced abiotic stress

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is now widely recognized as a signaling molecule, playing a crucial role as a regulator of essential biological processes. This review outlines current knowledge of the endogenous H2S sources in different cellular compartments and highlights its principal mechanisms of action. In the current context of climate change, the involvement of H2S in plant stress responses has gained increasing attention. H₂S has been shown to alleviate the adverse effects of various abiotic stresses by regulating specific physiological and molecular responses, enabling stress tolerance and crop resilience. A comprehensive overview is provided on how H₂S regulates adaptive responses to environmental stressors, such as elevated atmospheric CO2, drought, soil salinization and increased temperature. Notably, protein persulfidation has emerged as the main mechanism through which H2S exerts this regulation.