Nitric oxide in marine photosynthetic organisms

Abstract

Nitric oxide is a versatile and powerful signaling molecule in plants. However, most of our understanding stems from studies on terrestrial plants and very little is known about marine autotrophs. This review summarizes current knowledge about the source of nitric oxide synthesis in marine photosynthetic organisms and its role in various physiological processes under normal and stress conditions. The interactions of nitric oxide with other stress signals and cross talk among secondary messengers are also highlighted.

Keywords: Marine plants; Nitric oxide; Nitric oxide signaling; Nitric oxide synthase; Seaweeds; Stress responses.