Zeitschrift für Pflanzenbiochemie und -physiologie
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Salinity Tolerance in Plants: Revisiting the Role of Sulfur Metabolites

Nafees A Khan, M Iqbal R Khan, Mohd Asgher, Mehar Fatma, Asim Masood and Shabina Syeed

Salinity is becoming a major threat to plant productivity loss in agricultural system. Plants respond to saline
environment by modulating the inherent mechanisms to adjust to the changing environment. The understanding
of the mechanisms that plants operate under saline environment is essential beginning in efforts to reduce the
adverse effects of salinity stress. The agricultural system is tightly linked with the fertilizer input and thus the
judicious application of fertilizers is expected to lead positive effects in reversing the salinity effects. Sulfur is a
macronutrient with essential roles in plant development under optimal and stressful environment. Several compounds
are synthesized from sulfur metabolism useful in reversing the adverse effects of abiotic stress because of their
free radicals scavenging property. Sulfur-containing metabolites, amino acids (cysteine and methionine), vitamins
(biotin and thiamine), thioredoxin system, glutathione lipoic acid and glucosinolats have potential to promote or
modify physiological and molecular processes under salinity stress in plants. Thus, modulation of sulfur metabolites
production could alter physiological and molecular mechanisms to provide tolerance against salinity. The present
review discusses the role of sulfur-containing compounds in modifying various physiological and molecular processes
in plants to confer salinity tolerance in plants.