The function of tocopherols and tocotrienols in plants

Tocopherols and tocotrienols, which differ only in the degree of saturation of their hydrophobic prenyl side chains, are lipid-soluble molecules that have a number of functions in plants. Synthesized from homogentisic acid and isopentenyl diphosphate in the plastid envelope, tocopherols and tocotrienols are essential to maintain membrane integrity. alpha-Tocopherol is the major form found in green parts of plants, while tocotrienols are mostly found in seeds. These compounds are antioxidants, thus they protect the plant from oxygen toxicity. Tocopherols and tocotrienols scavenge lipid peroxy radicals, thereby preventing the propagation of lipid peroxidation in membranes, and the ensuing products tocopheroxyl and tocotrienoxyl radicals, respectively, are recycled back to tocopherols and tocotrienols by the concerted action of other antioxidants. Furthermore, tocopherols and tocotrienols protect lipids and other membrane components by physically quenching and reacting chemically with singlet oxygen. The scavenging of singlet oxygen by alpha-tocopherol in chloroplasts results in the formation of, among other products, alpha-tocopherol quinone, a known contributor to cyclic electron transport in thylakoid membranes, therefore providing photoprotection for chloroplasts. Moreover, given that alpha-tocopherol increases membrane rigidity, its concentration, together with that of the other membrane components, might be regulated to afford adequate fluidity for membrane function. Furthermore, alpha-tocopherol may affect intracellular signaling in plant cells. The effects of this compound in intracellular signaling may be either direct, by interacting with key components of the signaling cascade, or indirect, through the prevention of lipid peroxidation or the scavenging of singlet oxygen. In the latter case, alpha-tocopherol may regulate the concentration of reactive oxygen species and plant hormones, such as jasmonic acid, within the cell, which control both the growth and development of plants, and also plant response to stress.