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Ultraweak light emission, free radicals, chilling and light sensitivity
Author(s) -
Hideg Éva,
Olof Björn Lars
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
physiologia plantarum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.351
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1399-3054
pISSN - 0031-9317
DOI - 10.1034/j.1399-3054.1996.980201.x
Subject(s) - lycopersicon , cucumis , vicia faba , phaseolus , pisum , chemistry , horticulture , sativum , thylakoid , botany , radical , biology , chloroplast , biochemistry , gene , organic chemistry
Ultraweak light emission (UWLE) was measured from leaves of various chilling‐sensitive ( Lycopersicon esculentum, Cucumis sativus and Phaseolus vulgaris ) and ‐tolerant ( Pisum sativum and Vicia faba ) plants after exposure to low (4‐7°C) temperature in the light. UWLE increased upon chilling treatment combined with illumination with 200 µmol m −2 s −1 PAR in all plants, by about 30% in tolerant and by more than 100% in sensitive plants. It increased more when applied together with 400 µmol m −2 s −1 PAR: by 90‐100% and by 250‐280% in chilling‐tolerant and ‐sensitive plants, respectively. Free radical production was detected by spin‐trapping EPR spectroscopy in thylakoid membranes isolated from the chilling‐treated Lycopersicon esculentum and Vicia faba leaves. After 12 h chilling at 200 µmol m −2 s −1 PAR, free radical production was approximately 3 times greater in the former than in the latter species. The same ratio was approximately 6 if chilling was carried out at 400 µmol m −2 s −1 PAR, indicating the role of photooxidative stress in chilling injury. Our results also confirm that the stress‐induced increase in UWLE is an indicator of free radical production and offers the possibility of using UWLE for monitoring the effect of chilling on temperature‐sensitive plants in an early stage.