Activation of an oxidative burst is a general feature of sensitive plants exposed to the air pollutant ozone.

Wohlgemuth, H; Mittelstrass, K; Kschieschan, S; Bender, J; Weigel, H.-J; Overmyer, K; Kangasjärvi, J; Sandermann, H; Langebartels, C

Ozone exposure stimulates an oxidative burst in leaves of sensitive plants, resulting in the generation and accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H[sub 2]O[sub 2]) in tobacco and tomato, and superoxide (O[sub 2, sup...]) together with H[sub 2]O[sub 2] in Arobidopsis accessions. Accumulation of these reactive oxygen species (ROS) preceded the induction of cell death, and both responses co-occurred spatially in the periveinal regions of the leaves. Re-current ozone exposure of the sensitive tobacco cv. Bel W3 in closed chambers or in the field led to an enlargement of existing lesions by priming the border cells for H[sub 2]O[sub 2] accumulation. Open top chamber experiments with native herbaceous plants in the field showed that Malva sylvestris L. accumulates O[sub 2, sup ...] at those sites that later exhibit plant cell death. Blocking of ROS accumulation markedly reduced ozone-induced cell death in tomato, Arabidopsis and M. sylvestris. It is concluded that ozone triggers an in planta generation and accumulation of H[sub 2]O[sub 2] and/or O[sub 2, sup ...] depending on the species, accession and cultivar, and that both these reactive oxygen species are involved in the induction of cell death in sensitive crop and native plants.

HYDROGEN peroxide; MIMOSA; AIR pollution; PLANTS; POLLUTION

Plant, Cell & Environment, 2002, Vol 25, Issue 6, p717

0140-7791

Academic Journal

10.1046/j.1365-3040.2002.00859.x