biologia plantarum

Biologia plantarum 49:609-612, 2005 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-005-0057-y

Effects of salicylic acid on ethylene induction and antioxidant activity in peach rootstock regenerants

A. Molassiotis¹, G. Diamantidis², I. Therios^1,*, K. Dimassi¹

¹ Laboratory of Pomology, Department of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

² Laboratory of Agricultural Chemistry, Department of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

Ethylene concentration in the culture tubes of peach rootstock regenerants of three genotypes (Cadaman, GF-677, Myrobalan 29C) was increased by the inclusion of 20 µM salicylic acid (SA), methionine (METH) and ethephon (ETH) in the MS medium whereas it was decreased in regenerants exposed up to 20 µM AgNO₃. In leaves of the regenerants the increase of ethylene concentration was accompanied with an increase of non-enzymatic antioxidant activity while remarkable genotype-depended changes in the activities of catalase, peroxidase and their isoenzymes were recorded suggesting that ethylene accumulation imposes oxidative stress responses. However, the results showed that some differences could be observed in the activity of isoenzymes in regenerants exposed to SA in respect to METH and ETH-treated ones.

Keywords: Cadaman (Prunus persica × P. davidiana); catalase; ethephon; FRAP values; GF-677 (Prunus amygdalus × P. persica); isoenzymes; methionine; Myrobolan 29C (Prunus cerasifera); peroxidase

Subjects: antioxidants, enzymes; antioxidants, salicylic acid; catalase; ethylene; in vitro culture, regeneration, organogenesis, morphogenesis; methionine; oxidative stress, antioxidants; peroxidase; Prunus amygdalus × P. persica; Prunus cerasifera; Prunus persica × P. davidiana; rootstock, peach; salicylic acid; salt stress, antioxidant enzymes

Received: September 30, 2003; Accepted: November 3, 2004; Published: December 1, 2005  Show citation