Journal of Energy Bioscience 2025, Vol.16, No.2, 64-74 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/jeb 71 such as StCDPKs and StRbohs, to understand their role in ROS generation and stress resistance (Ma et al., 2021b; Soliman et al., 2021). These technologies have given us a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamic changes of ROS and its impact on potato stress response. 7.2 Genetic engineering approaches to modify ROS pathways in potatoes Now, scientists are also using genetic engineering methods to modify the ROS regulatory system in potatoes to make them more resistant to stress. For example, studies have found that by allowing potatoes to express more of a gene called StRbohA, ROS production can be increased, further triggering defense responses and making plants more resistant to late blight (Soliman et al., 2021). Another popular technology is CRISPR-Cas9. Researchers used it to knock out the gene StSP6A, which is related to H2O2-induced tuber formation. In this way, scientists can better understand the genetic mechanism of ROS in stress response (Lei et al., 2023). In sweet potato, researchers have also conducted similar experiments, such as increasing the expression of IbBBX24 and IbPRX17 genes. The results showed that this can increase the activity of peroxidase, reduce the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide in the body, and make the plant more resistant to drought and salt (Zhang et al., 2021). These methods also have great potential in potato improvement. The goal is to regulate the level of ROS and improve yield and stress resistance. 7.3 Insights from potato genomics and transcriptomics in ROS-related stress responses Using genomic and transcriptomic technologies, scientists can better understand the molecular mechanism of ROS in potato stress response. Transcriptome analysis shows that ROS regulates many genes related to stress resistance, including those involved in plant hormone synthesis and signal transduction (Terrón-Camero et al., 2022). The study also found some key "transcriptional imprints" that are related to peroxisome signaling, indicating that ROS can regulate the expression of a large number of genes under stress (Terrón-Camero et al., 2022). Scientists also combined a variety of "omics" technologies to study the relationship between ROS and other signaling systems. For example, some studies have explored the cross-talk between ROS and TOR signaling pathways. TOR is a signaling system that regulates cell growth. The results showed that when infected with late blight, if the PiTOR gene is inactivated, the resistance of potatoes to pathogens will be enhanced (Luo et al., 2021). 8 Challenges and Future Directions in Potato ROS Research 8.1 Challenges in understanding ROS signaling dynamics in potatoes It is quite difficult to understand the changing patterns of reactive oxygen species (ROS) signals in potatoes. One of the biggest difficulties is that this signaling system is too complicated. ROS are not just something produced by the way during cell metabolism, they also act as signaling molecules to regulate many physiological processes, such as plant growth and development, and responses to drought or disease (Baxter et al., 2014; Myers et al., 2024). What is more difficult to understand now is: how does ROS affect gene expression step by step? There are many regulatory factors and signaling pathways involved, and each step is quite detailed (Dvořák et al., 2021; Mishra et al., 2023). Another difficulty is that the production and removal of ROS must not only be appropriate in quantity, but also occur at the right time and in the right place. ROS cannot be too much, otherwise it will damage cells; but too little will not start the reaction. This "just right" balance will be affected by the environment and the state of the plant itself (You and Chan, 2015; Dvořák et al., 2021). ROS signals do not have a clear transmission order like some hormone pathways, so it is more difficult to figure out how they coordinate with each other in the cell (Myers et al., 2024; Zhu and Shen, 2024). 8.2 Potential of ROS-based biomarkers for potato stress tolerance Now many people have begun to study whether ROS can be used as a "marker" to judge the stress resistance of potatoes. Simply put, the level of ROS can reflect the stress state of the plant (You and Chan, 2015; Dvořák et al., 2021). If the expression level of some enzymes that remove ROS is very high, it means that the plant may be more drought-resistant and salt-resistant. These enzymes may be used as "biomarkers" to help us determine which varieties are more stress-resistant (Soliman et al., 2021; Zhang et al., 2021). If these ROS-related markers can be used in breeding, it will be possible to select varieties with strong "natural" ROS regulation ability more quickly.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4ODYzNA==