Search

Accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and their destructive effects on cellular organelles are the hallmark features of plants exposed to abiotic stresses. Plants are well-equipped with defensive mechanisms like antioxidant systems to deal with ROS-induced oxidative stress. Silicon has been emerged as an important regulator of plant protective mechanisms under environmental stresses, which can be up-taken from soil through a system of various silicon-transporters. In plants, silicon is deposited underneath of cuticles and in the cell wall, and help plant cells reduce deleterious effects of stresses. Furthermore, silicon can provide resistance to ROS-toxicity, which often accounts for silicon-mediated improvement of plant tolerance to different abiotic constraints, including salinity, drought, and metal toxicity. Silicon enhances the ROS-detoxification ability of treated plants by modulating the antioxidant defense systems, and the expression of key genes associated with oxidative stress mitigation and hormone metabolism. Silicon also displays additive roles in ROS-elimination when supplied with other external stimuli. Here, we discuss recent findings on how silicon is able to modulate antioxidant defense of plants in response to oxidative stress triggered by different abiotic constraints. We also review interactions of silicon with other signaling molecules, including nitric oxide, ROS, polyamines, and phytohormones in the mediation of plant protection against abiotic stress-induced oxidative damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reviews several books on economic development. 'Urban Development and Civil Society: The Role of Communities in Sustainable Cities,' edited by M. Carley, P. Jenkins, and H. Smith; 'Development Policy in the Twenty-First Century: Beyond the Post-Washington Consensus,' edited by B. Fine, C. Lapavitsas, and J. Pincus; 'Rethinking Resource Management: Justice, Sustainability, and Indigenous Peoples,' by R. Howitt.

Reviews the book "Women with Mustaches and Men without Beards: Gender and Sexual Anxieties of Iranian Modernity," by Afsaneh Najmabadi.

Reviews the book `Change in the Chilean Countryside: From Pinochet to Aylwin and Beyond,' edited by David E. Hojman.