Delayed wheat flag leaf senescence due to removal of spikelets is associated with increased activities of leaf antioxidant enzymes, reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione ratio and oxidative damage to mitochondrial proteins.

Removal of reproductive 'sink' i.e. spikelets from wheat at anthesis delays the rate of flag leaf senescence. In this work, the antioxidant defense was studied in the flag leaf of Triticum aestivum cv. Kalyansona plants showing normal (S + plants) and delayed senescence via removal of spikelets (S- plants). This was done by measurement of metabolites and activities of enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, guaiacol peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, dehydroascorbate reductase and glutathione reductase. S- plants had higher reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) ratio and antioxidant enzyme activities than the control plants and the differences were apparent from 21 days after anthesis (DAA). The removal of the reproductive sink led to an increased antioxidant defense which may be contributing towards the delayed flag leaf senescence in wheat. Chloroplasts and mitochondria, important sources of ROS, were isolated at two stages representing early (7 DAA) and late (21 DAA) senescence. Oxidative damage to proteins was studied in these organelles in relation to SOD and APX. Mitochondria had higher levels of damaged proteins than chloroplasts at 7 DAA in both S+ and S- plants. Higher damage was related to the lower antioxidant enzyme levels of SOD and APX in mitochondria as compared to chloroplasts.