Inhibition of monoterpene biosynthesis accelerates oxidative stress and leads to enhancement of antioxidant defenses in leaves of rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis)

This paper mainly studies the possible antioxidant of monoterpene and effects of its absence on other antioxidant defense. The leaves of rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) were fed with fosmidomycin through transpiration stream, in the dark, at room temperature for 2 h, and were then exposed to bright illumination (1,500 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹) and moderately high temperature (30°C) for 1 h. The results showed that monoterpene biosynthesis in leaves was considerably inhibited by fosmidomycin, and the elevated levels of both hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde were observed in the leaves fed with fosmidomycin (LFF). Compared to the control leaves (CK), ∆F/F _m′ in the LFF was markedly lower during the first 20 min; however, there were no significant differences in non-photochemical quenching and photosynthetic pigments (chlorophylls and carotenoids). In contrast, the activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, guaiacol peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione reductase) were enhanced in the LFF. Meanwhile, the contents of antioxidant metabolites (ascorbate and glutathione) were also elevated in the LFF, when compared with the CK. The results obtained here suggest that monoterpene may be very effective molecule in protecting plants against oxidative stress, the absence of monoterpene leads to the increased responses of the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant defenses to oxidative stress, and the enhancement of the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant defenses may, in part, compensate for the loss of antioxidant conferred by monoterpene.