Oxidative stress and antioxidants in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants subjected to boron toxicity.
OBJECTIVE
Boron (B) toxicity triggers the formation of reactive oxygen species in plant tissues. However, there is still a lack of knowledge as to how B toxicity affects the plant antioxidant defence system. It has been suggested that ascorbate could be important against B stress, although existing information is limited in this respect. The objective of this study was to analyse how ascorbate and some other components of the antioxidant network respond to B toxicity.


METHODS
Two tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) cultivars ('Kosaco' and 'Josefina') were subjected to 0.05 (control), 0.5 and 2 mm B. The following were studied in leaves: dry weight; relative leaf growth rate; total and free B; H(2)O(2); malondialdehyde; ascorbate; glutathione; sugars; total non-enzymatic antioxidant activity, and the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, dehydroascorbate reductase, glutathione reductase, ascorbate oxidase and l-galactose dehydrogenase.


RESULTS
The B-toxicity treatments diminished growth and boosted the amount of B, malondialdehyde and H(2)O(2) in the leaves of the two cultivars, these trends being more pronounced in 'Josefina' than in 'Kosaco'. B toxicity increased ascorbate concentration in both cultivars and increased glutathione only in 'Kosaco'. Activities of antioxidant- and ascorbate-metabolizing enzymes were also induced.


CONCLUSIONS
High B concentration in the culture medium provokes oxidative damage in tomato leaves and induces a general increase in antioxidant enzyme activity. In particular, B toxicity increased ascorbate pool size. It also increased the activity of l-galactose dehydrogenase, an enzyme involved in ascorbate biosynthesis, and the activity of enzymes of the Halliwell-Asada cycle. This work therefore provides a starting point towards a better understanding of the role of ascorbate in the plant response against B stress.
Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain. lmcerv@ugr.es
Luis M
LM
Cervilla
Begoña
B
Blasco
Juan J
JJ
Ríos
Luis
L
Romero
Juan M
JM
Ruiz
D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D018533:Biomass; D001895:Boron / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
D000975:Antioxidants; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D005978:Glutathione; D001895:Boron; D001205:Ascorbic Acid