Abstract
To characterize the stimulatory effects of low-dose gamma radiation on early plant growth, we investigated alterations in the photosynthesis and antioxidant capacity of red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seedlings produced from gamma-irradiated seeds. For two cultivars (Yeomyung and Joheung), three irradiation groups (2, 4, and 8 Gy, but not 16 Gy) showed enhanced development, although Fv/Fm, the maximum photochemical efficiency of Photosystem II (PSII), did not differ significantly among any of the four groups. In contrast, values for 1/Fo — 1/Fm, i.e., a measure of functional PSII content, decreased in the irradiated groups of ‘Yeomyung’ but increased in those of ‘Joheung’. Pigment analyses and enzyme activity assays revealed that irradiation altered the compositions of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophylls and carotenoids) as well as the activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and glutathione reductase). However, these shifts were not directly related to the increase in early growth, although they were cultivar-and developmental stage-dependent In addition, the effects of irradiation on the enzymatic activities measured here were at opposition between the two cultivars.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
Al-Safadi B, Simon PW (1996) Gamma irradiation-induced variation in carrots (Daucus carota L). J Amer Soc Hort Sci 121:599–603
Al-Safadi B, Ayyoubi Z, Jawdat D (2000) The effect of gamma irradiation on potato microtuber productionin vitro. Plant Cell Tiss Org Cult 61:183–187
Asada K (1999) The water-water cycle in chloroplasts: Scavenging of active oxygens and dissipation of excess photons. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 50:601–639
Beyer WF, Fridovich Y (1987) Assaying for superoxide dis-mutase activity: Some large consequences of minor changes in conditions. Anal Biochem 161:559–566
Bishop NL (1996) The β,ɛ-carotenoid, lutein, is specifically required for the formation of the oligomeric forms of the light harvesting complex in the green alga,Scenedesmus obliquus. J Photochem Photobiol B: Biol 36: 279–283
Bradford MM (1976) A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of dye binding. Anal Biochem 72:248–254
Calabrese EJ (2002) Hormesis: Changing view of the dose-response, a personal account of the history and current status. Mutat Res 511:181–189
Chakravarty B, Sen S (2001) Enhancement of regeneration potential and variability by γ-irradiation in cultured cells ofScilla indica. Biol Plant 44:189–193
Charbaji T, Nabulsi I (1999) Effect of low doses of gamma irradiation on in vitro growth of grapevine. Plant Cell Tiss Org Cult 57:129–132
Conter A, Dupouy D, Delteil C, Planel H (1986) Influence of very low doses of ionizing radiation onSynechococcus lividus metabolism during the initial growth phase. Arch Microbiol 144:286–290
Demmig-Adams B, Adams III WW (1996) The role of xan-thophyll cycle carotenoids in the protection of photosynthesis. Trends Plant Sci 1:21–26
Demmig-Adams B, Gilmore AM, Adams III WW (1996)In vivo functions of carotenoids in higher plants. FASEB J 10:403–412
Edge R, McCarvey DJ, Truscott TG (1997) The carotenoids as anti-oxidants: A review. J Photochem Photobiol B: Biol 41: 189–200
Eidus LK (2000) Hypothesis regarding a membrane-associated mechanism of biological action due to low-dose ionizing radiation. Rad Environ Biophys 39:189–195
Frank HA, Cogdell RJ (1993) The photochemistry and function of carotenoids in photosynthesis,In A Young, G Britton, eds, Carotenoids in Photosynthesis. Chapman & Hall, London, pp 252–326
Fryer MJ, Andrews JR, Oxborough K, Blowers DA, Baker NR (1998) Relationship between C02 assimilation, photosynthetic electron transport, and active 02 metabolism in leaves of maize in the field during periods of low temperature. Plant Physiol 116:571–580
Genty B, Briantais JM, Baker NR (1989) The relationship between the quantum yield of photosynthetic electron transport and quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence. Biochim Biophys Acta 90:87–92
Gilmore AM (1997) Mechanistic aspects of xanthophyll cycle-dependent photoprotection in higher plant chloroplasts and leaves. Physiol Plant 99:197–209
Gilmore AM, Yamamoto HY (1991) Resolution of lutein and zeaxanthin using a nonencapped, lightly carbon-loaded C-18 high-performance liquid chromatographic column. J Chromatogr 543:137–145
Gupta AS, Heinen JL, Holaday AS, Burke JJ, Allen RD (1993) Increased resistance to oxidative stress in transgenic plants that overexpress chloroplastic Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 90:1629–1633
Kim J-H, Lee C-H (2002) Decrease of photochemical efficiency induced by methyl viologen in rice (Oryza sativa L.) leaves is partly due to the down-regulation of PSII. J Photosci 9:65–70
Kim J-H, Lee C-H (2003) Mechanism for photoinactivation of PSII by methyl viologen at two temperatures in the leaves of rice (Oryza sativa L.). J Plant Biol 46:10–16
Kim J-S, Baek M-H, Lee H-Y, Lee Y-K (2001a) Effects of low dose gamma irradiation on the germination and physiological activity of old red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seed. J Kor Assoc Rad Prot 26:409–415
Kim J-S, Baek M-H, Lee Y-K, Lee H-Y, Yoo J-C (2002a) Effect of low-dose gamma radiation to enhance germination rate in bottle gourd and pumpkin seeds. Kor J Environ Agr 21:202–207
Kim J-S, Kim J-K, Lee Y-K, Baek M-W, Kim J-G (1998) Effects of low dose gamma radiation on the germination and yield components of Chinese cabbage. Kor J Environ Agr 17:274–278
Kim J-S, Lee E-K, Baek M-H, Kim D-H, Lee YB (2000) Influence of low dose y radiation on the physiology of germinative seed of vegetable crops. Kor J Environ Agr 19:58–61
Kim J-S, Lee H-Y, Baek M-H, Kim J-H, Kim SY (2002b) Effects of low dose y radiation on the dormancy, growth and physiological activity of seed potato (Solanum tuberosum L). J Kor Soc Hort Sci 43:596–602
Kim S-J, Lee C-H, Hope AB, Chow WS (2001b) Inhibition of photosystem I and II and enhanced back flow of photosystem l electrons in cucumber leaf discs chilled in the light. Plant Cell Physiol 42:842–848
Koepp R, Kramer M (1981) Photosynthetic activity and distribution of photoassimilated 14C in seedlings of Zea mays grown from gamma-irradiated seeds. Photosyn-thetica 15:484–489
Larson RA (1988) The antioxidants of higher plants. Phy-tochem 27:969–978
Lee EK, Kim J-S, Lee Y-K, Lee YB (1998) Effect of low dose γ-ray irradiation on the germination and growth in red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). J Kor Soc Hort Sci 39:670–675
Lee H-Y, Chow WS, Hong YN (1999) Photoinactivation of photosystem II in leaves of Capsicum annuum. Physiol Plant 105:377–384
Lee H-Y, Kim J-S, Baek M-H, Park S-C, Park Y-l (2002a) Effects of low dose γ-radiation on photosynthesis of red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and the reduction of photoinhibition. Kor J Environ Agr 21:83–89
Lee H-Y, Kim J-S, Baek M-H, Lee Y-K, Im D-S (2002b) Effects of low dose γ-radiation on the growth, activities of enzymes and photosynthetic activities of gourd (Lagenaria siceraria). Kor J Environ Biol 20:197–204
Lee H-Y, Kim J-S, Baek M-H, Yoo J-C, Kwon S-T (2003) Effects of low dose y irradiation on physiological activities of radish (Raphanus sativus) during early growth and reduction of ultraviolet-B stress. J Kor Soc Hort Sci 44:314–320
Luckey TD (1980) Hormesis with Ionizing Radiation. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 32–38
Luckey TD (1991) Radiation Hormesis. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 9
McKersie BD, Chen Y, Beus MD, Bowley SR, Bowler C, Inze D, D’Halluin K, Botterman J (1993) Superoxide dismutase enhances tolerance of freezing stress in transgenic alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Plant Physiol 103:1155–1163
Miller MW (1987) Radiation hormesis in plants. Health Physiol 52:607–616
Mullineaux PM, Creissen GP (1997) Glutathione reductase: Regulation and role in oxidative stress. In JG Scan-dalios, ed, Oxidative Stress and the Molecular Biology of Antioxidant Defenses. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, New York, pp 667–713
Niyogi KK (1997) The roles of specific xanthophylls in photoprotection. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 94:14162–14167
Okamoto H, Tatara A (1995) Effects of low-dose γ-irradia-tion on the cell cycle duration of barley roots. Environ Exp Bot 35:379–388
Rivas ADL, Telfer A, Barber J (1993) Two coupled p-caro-tene molecules protect P680 from photodamage in isolated photosystem II reaction centres. Biochim Biophys Acta 1142:155–164
Schaedle M, Bassham JA (1977) Chloroplast glutathione reductase. Plant Physiol 59:1011–1012
Slooten L, Capiau K, Camp VW, van Montagu M, Sybesma C, Inze D (1995) Factors affecting the enhancement of oxidative stress tolerance in transgenic tobacco overex-pressing manganese superoxide dismutase in the chlo-roplasts. Plant Physiol 107:737–750
Stan S, Croitoru A (1970) Effect of low, moderate and high levels of gamma radiations (60Co) on soybean plants. I. Analysis of growth and yield. Stim Newsl 1:23–25
Taguchi Y, Tsutsumi N, Tatara A, Eguchi H, Tano S (1994) Effects of low-dose γ-irradiation on the root apical mer-istem of barley. Environ Mut Res Commun 16:205–209
Telfer A, Dhami S, Bishop SM, Phillips D, Barber J (1994) B-carotene quenches singlet oxygen formed by isolated photosystem II reaction centers. Bioehem 33:14469–14474
Thiede ME, Link SO, Fellows RJ, Beedlow PA (1995) Effects of gamma radiation on stem diameter growth, carbon gain and biomass partitioning in Helianthus annuus. Environ Exp Bot 35:33–41
Thiele A, Krause GH (1994) Xanthophyll cycle and thermal energy dissipation in photosystem II: Relationship between zeaxanthin formation, energy-dependent fluorescence quenching and photoinhibition. J Plant Physiol 144:324–332
Wada H, Koshiba T, Matsui T, Sato M (1998) Involvement of peroxidase in differential sensitivity to γ-radiation in seedlings of two Nicotiana species. Plant Sci 132:109–119
Wiendl FM, Wiendl FW, Wiendl JA, Vedovatto A, Arthur V (1995) Increase of onion yield through low dose of gamma irradiation of its seeds. Rad Phys Chem 46:793–795
Zaka R, Vandecasteele CM, Misset MT (2002) Effects of low chronic doses of ionizing radiation on antioxidant enzymes and G6PDH activities in St/pa capillata (Poaceae). J Exp Bot 53:1979–1987
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kim, JH., Baek, MH., Chung, B.Y. et al. Alterations in the photosynthetic pigments and antioxidant machineries of red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seedlings from gamma-irradiated seeds. J. Plant Biol. 47, 314–321 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03030546
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03030546