Free radical scavenging and senescence in Iris tepals

The visible symptoms of tepal senescence in Iris flowers (Iris × hollandica, cv. Blue Magic) are preceded by the death of most mesophyll cells. We investigated the role of some enzymes involved in free radical scavenging. During the 4 d following tepal unfolding, no changes occurred in superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.11) activity, though activity had become low by the time of visible senescence (day 5). SOD produces peroxide, which may lead to further free radical production. Peroxide is reduced by catalase (EC 1.11.1.6) or ascorbate peroxidase (APX, EC 1.11.1.11). In Iris tepals, the activity of APX activity was much higher than that of catalase. Catalase activity gradually increased, whereas APX activity remained unchanged until day 4, then dropped to low values when visual senescence symptoms were expressed. Glutathione reductase (GR, EC 1.6.4.2.), involved in maintaining the antioxidant glutathione, exhibited no change in activity until day 5, but a change in isozyme activity occurred prior to senescence. Treatments known to increase free radical levels, such as elevated oxygen concentrations or placing isolated tepals in aqueous solutions containing a range of free radical scavengers/antioxidants, did not affect the time to visible tepal senescence. It is concluded that the early processes of senescence seem neither related to diminished free radical scavenging by SOD, APX and catalase, nor to diminished GR activity. As SOD and APX activities were low by the time visible senescence symptoms were expressed, diminished free radical scavenging may occur at the very last stages of senescence.