Summary: | Hydrogen sulfide (H<sub>2</sub>S), the third gasotransmitter, has positive roles in animals and plants. Mitochondria are the source and the target of H<sub>2</sub>S and the regulatory hub in metabolism, stress, and disease. Mitochondrial bioenergetics is a vital process that produces ATP and provides energy to support the physiological and biochemical processes. H<sub>2</sub>S regulates mitochondrial bioenergetic functions and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. The article summarizes the recent knowledge of the chemical and biological characteristics, the mitochondrial biosynthesis of H<sub>2</sub>S, and the regulatory effects of H<sub>2</sub>S on the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes. The roles of H<sub>2</sub>S on the tricarboxylic acid cycle and mitochondrial respiratory complexes in mammals have been widely studied. The biological function of H<sub>2</sub>S is now a hot topic in plants. Mitochondria are also vital organelles regulating plant processes. The regulation of H<sub>2</sub>S in plant mitochondrial functions is gaining more and more attention. This paper mainly summarizes the current knowledge on the regulatory effects of H<sub>2</sub>S on the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) and the mitochondrial respiratory chain. A study of the roles of H<sub>2</sub>S in mitochondrial respiration in plants to elucidate the botanical function of H<sub>2</sub>S in plants would be highly desirable.
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