Glutathione at the Interface of Specialized Sulfur Metabolism and Sulfur Homeostasis.

Glutathione (GSH) is a central plant sulfur metabolite that links primary sulfur homeostasis to specialized sulfur pathways, including glucosinolate, camalexin, and S-alk(en)ylcysteine sulfoxide biosynthesis.

• Why it matters: Specialized sulfur metabolism has been viewed as an isolated sulfur sink, but accumulating evidence suggests it is instead governed by dynamic GSH-dependent sulfur fluxes.
• What they did: The review integrates evidence that GSH is recruited into specialized metabolite biosynthesis in Brassicaceae and Allium lineages and that GSH degradation enzymes support sulfur transfer during formation.
• The result: It proposes a revised framework where specialized metabolism is embedded in coordinated GSH turnover, enabling sulfur recycling and shaping immune-related metabolic outcomes in plants.