title: Reactive oxygen species in aerobic methane formation from vegetation.
abstract: The first report of aerobic methane emissions from vegetation by an unknown mechanism suggested that this potential new source may make a significant contribution to global methane emissions. We recently investigated possible mechanisms and reported experiments in which UV-irradiation caused methane emissions from pectin, a major plant cell wall polysaccharide. Our findings also suggest that UV-generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) release methane from pectin. This has implications for all other, UV-independent processes which may generate ROS in or close to the plant cell wall and suggests a need to evaluate additional systems for ROS-generated methane emissions in leaves.
authors.affiliation: The Edinburgh Cell Wall Group, Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Messenger
authors.forename: Andy R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: McLeod
authors.forename: Stephen C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Fry