Plant peroxidases: biomarkers of metallic stress

The term “peroxidase” designs a group of hemoproteins with a wide structural variability. These enzymes catalyze the redox reaction between hydrogen peroxide and some reductors. They can be found in animals, plants and microorganisms. In plants, peroxidases are involved in numerous cellular processes such as development and stress responses. In fact, they are involved in growth regulation by controlling hormonal and cell wall metabolism and antioxidant defense. On the other hand, these enzymes are considered as a biomarker indicating biotic and abiotic stresses. Under metallic stress conditions, the quantitative and qualitative profiles of peroxidases are generally modified. Such modulations could prove the major role played by these enzymes in the defense mechanism. In this paper, we discussed the variation of isoperoxidases behavior under metallic stress conditions.