THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MALE STERILITY AND MEMBRANE LIPID PEROXIDATION AND ANTIOXIDANT ENZYMES IN WHEAT (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

Malondialdehyde (MDA), which is thought to be important inducible factor of cell apoptosis if excessively accumulated in cells, is often regarded as a widely used marker of oxidative lipid injury whose concentration varies in response to biotic and abiotic stress. To elucidate the metabolic mechanism of ROS production and scavenging of the male sterility, normal fertility and male sterility wheat, including genetic and physiologically male sterility, by comparing MDA content and antioxidant enzymes changes in the sterile and fertile leaves, spikes, florets, rachillaes, ovaries and anthers at different developmental anther stages, were employed for studying the relationship between the male sterility and membrane lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzymes. The results showed that tissue of male sterility had roughly higher content of MDA than corresponding fertile plants, and ovary performance was not obvious but most obvious in anther. Simultaneously, the higher activities of antioxidant enzymes were measured in the anthers of male sterility plant, in which an increase of ROS in anthers of abortion stage had an inducible effect on the antioxidant enzymes. MDA content and scavenging-enzyme activities had difference in the sterile and fertile leaves, spikes, florets, rachillaes at different anther stages, indicating that different tissues of ROS metabolism had noticeable difference in male sterility and normal wheat. It can be considered that the disorder of scavenging-enzyme activities and accumulation of MDA in the male organ, and supplier of nutrition blades were causing a further substance metabolism disorder, energy loss, leading to the occurrence of male sterility.