Chemical Structure and Biological Activity of Humic Substances Define Their Role as Plant Growth Promoters.
Molecules
; 26(8)2021 Apr 13.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33924700
ABSTRACT
Humic substances (HS) are dominant components of soil organic matter and are recognized as natural, effective growth promoters to be used in sustainable agriculture. In recent years, many efforts have been made to get insights on the relationship between HS chemical structure and their biological activity in plants using combinatory approaches. Relevant results highlight the existence of key functional groups in HS that might trigger positive local and systemic physiological responses via a complex network of hormone-like signaling pathways. The biological activity of HS finely relies on their dosage, origin, molecular size, degree of hydrophobicity and aromaticity, and spatial distribution of hydrophilic and hydrophobic domains. The molecular size of HS also impacts their mode of action in plants, as low molecular size HS can enter the root cells and directly elicit intracellular signals, while high molecular size HS bind to external cell receptors to induce molecular responses. Main targets of HS in plants are nutrient transporters, plasma membrane H+-ATPases, hormone routes, genes/enzymes involved in nitrogen assimilation, cell division, and development. This review aims to give a detailed survey of the mechanisms associated to the growth regulatory functions of HS in view of their use in sustainable technologies.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Sustancias Húmicas
Límite:
Animals
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Molecules
Asunto de la revista:
BIOLOGIA
Año:
2021
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Italia