Transient, oxidant-induced antioxidant transcript and enzyme levels correlate with greater oxidant-resistance in paraquat-resistant Conyza bonariensis.

The elucidation of mechanisms plants use to overcome oxidative stress is facilitated where there is intra-specific genetic variability. The differential induction of higher levels of mRNAs, cytosol and chloroplast antioxidant enzyme activities, and proteins occurred after sub-lethal paraquat treatment of the oxidant-resistant biotype of Conyza bonariensis (L.) Cronq. By 6 h after sub-lethal paraquat treatment the activities of superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1), ascorbate peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.11), dehydroascorbate reductase (EC 1.8.5), monodehydroascorbate reductase (EC 1.6.5.4), and glutathione peroxidase (EC 1.11.19) had increased, peaking at 24 h and then slowly reverting back to the basal level. Similarly, the levels of mRNAs encoding these enzymes were enhanced by 12 h and peaked at 18-24 h after sub-lethal paraquat treatment. The time courses of the transient elevation of both transcript and antioxidant enzyme levels correlated with a further transient 2.5- to 3.0-fold increase of paraquat resistance, which occurred only in the constitutively resistant biotype. The individual enzymes seem to be part of a coordinately controlled oxidant tolerance in the resistant biotype, utilizing oxidant-induced, increasingly abundant transcript levels, upon which more antioxidant enzymes were synthesized.