Forum Editorial Lessons from Redox Signaling in Plants

A LL LIV ING ORGANISMS are oxidation-reduction (redox)systems. They use anabolic, reductive processes to store energy and catabolic, oxidative processes to release it. It is plants that set this global wheel in motion. By harnessing light energy to drive biochemistry, photosynth etic organ isms have perfected the art of redox contro! ' Indeed, it is now widely accepted that redox signals are key regu lators of plant metabolism, morphology, and development. These signals exert control on nearly every aspect of plant biology from chemistry to development, growth, and eventual death. It is therefo re timely and appropriate that the current state of sci-entif ic advancement is assessed and reviewed in thi s volume. We suggest that "redox signaling " was the first type of sen-sory regulation that evolved in nature, because it prevented uncontrolled "boom and bust " scenarios in energy availabil-ity, utilization, and exchange. There followed furth er path