Effect of abscisic acid on active oxygen species, antioxidative defence system and oxidative damage in leaves of maize [Zea mays] seedlings

Leaves of maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings were supplied with different concentrations of abscisic acid (ABA). Its effects on the levels of superoxide radical (O2**-), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and the content of catalytic Fe, the activities of several antioxidative enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR), the contents of several non-enzymatic antioxidants such as ascorbate (ASC), reduced glutathione (GSH), alpha-tocopherol (alpha-TOC) and carotenoid (CAR), and the degrees of the oxidative damage to the membrane lipids and proteins were examined. Treatment with 10 and 100 micro M ABA significantly increased the levels of O2**- and H2O2, followed by an increase in activities of SOD, CAT, APX and GR, and the contents of ASC, GSH, alpha-TOC and CAR in a dose- and time-dependent pattern in leaves of maize seedlings. An oxidative damage expressed as lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, and plasma membrane leakage did not occur except for a slight increase with 100 micro M ABA treatment for 24h. Treatment with 1,000 micro M ABA led to a more abundant generation of O2**- and H2O2 and a significant increase in the content of catalytic Fe, which is critical for H2O2-dependent hydroxyl radical production. The activities of these antioxidative enzymes and the contents of alpha-TOC and CAR were still maintained at a higher level, but no longer further enhanced when compared with the treatment of 100 micro M ABA. The contents of ASC and GSH had no changes in leaves treated with 1,000@micro M ABA. These results indicate that treatment with low concentrations of ABA (10 to 100 micro M) induced an antioxidative defence response against oxidative damage, but a high concentration of ABA (1,000 micro M) induced an excessive generation of AOS and led to an oxidative damage in plant cells.