Summary
Exposure of spinach plants to 250 ppb H2S for two days resulted in a four-fold increase of the reduced glutathione (GSH)/sulphydryl (SH) concentration and in a two-fold increase of the oxidized glutathione (GSSG) concentration of the shoots. Both in the presence and the absence of H2S, glutathione was predominantly present in the reduced form (more than 86%). When the H2S exposure was ceased both the levels of GSH and GSSG in the shoot rapidly decreased. There was no emission of H2S by the leaves after the fumigation was terminated. Glutathione reductase activity in the shoots was not affected by short term H2S fumigation. It is proposed that glutathione plays the role of a temporary storage compound of excessive reduced sulphur in spinach shoots when exposed to H2S in the ambient air.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- DTNB:
-
5-5′ dithio-bis-(-2-nitrobenzoic acid)
- GSH:
-
glutathione
- GSSG:
-
oxidized glutathione
References
De Kok L J, De Kan P J L, Tànczos O G and Kuiper P J C 1981 Physiol. Plant. 53, 435–438.
De Kok L J and Oosterhuis F A 1983 Physiol. Plant. 58, 47–51.
De Kok L J, Thompson C R, Mudd J B and Kats G 1983 Z. Pflanzenphysiol. 111, 85–89.
De Kok L J, Bosma W, Maas F M and Kuiper P J C 1985 Plant, Cell and Environm., 8, 189–194.
Ellman G L 1959 Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 82, 70–77.
Esterbauer H and Grill D 1978 Plant Physiol. 61, 119–121.
Grill D, Esterbauer H and Klösch U 1979 Environm. Pollution 19, 187–194.
Grill D, Esterbauer H and Hellig K 1982 Phytopathol. Z. 104, 264–271.
Hällgren J-E and Fredriksson S-Å 1982 Plant Physiol. 70, 456–459.
Halliwell B and Foyer C H 1978 Planta 139, 9–17.
Klotsch H and Bergmeyer H U 1963In: ed. H U Bergmeyer, Methods of Enzym. Analysis, Acad. Press, N.Y., pp. 360–366.
Maas F M, De Kok L J and Kuiper P J C 1985 J. Plant Physiol. 119, 219–226.
Rennenberg H, Reski G and Polle A 1983 Z. Pflanzenphysiol. 111, 189–202.
Rennenberg H 1984Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 35, 121–153.
Reuveny Z, Dogall D K and Trinity P 1980 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 77, 6670–6672.
Sekiya J, Schmidt A, Rennenberg H, Wilson L G and Filner Ph 1982 Phytochem. 21, 2173–2178.
Sekiya J, Schmidt A, Wilson L G and Filner P 1982 Plant Physiol. 70, 430–436.
Van Dijk P J, Stulen I and De Kok L J 1986In Fundamental, Ecological and Agricultural Aspects of Nitrogen Metabolism in Higher Plants. Eds. H Lambers, J J Neeteson and I. Stulen. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht. pp 207–209.
Weigel H J and Jäger H J 1981 Mitt. Forstl Bundesversuchanst. Wien 137, 127–137.
Wilson L G, Bressan R A and Filner 1978 Plant Physiol. 61, 184–189.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
De Kok, L.J., Maas, F.M., Godeke, J. et al. Glutathione, a tripeptide which may function as a temporary storage compound of excessive reduced sulphur in H2S fumigated spinach plants. Plant Soil 91, 349–352 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02198121
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02198121