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.     

Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase Content and Degradation in Diploid,Tetraploid, and Hexaploid Wheat Species during Monocarpic Senescence

Wheat provides a unique genetic system in which variable sink size is available across the ploidies. We characterized monocarpic senescence in diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid wheat species in flag leaf from anthesis up to full grain maturity at regular intervals. Triticum tauschii Acc. cv. EC-331751 showed the fastest rate of senescence among the species studied and the rate of loss per day was highest in terms of photosynthesis rate, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBPCO) content, and flag leaf N content coupled with a higher rate of gain in grain N content. Cultivars Kundan and HD 4530 maintained high flag leaf N content throughout grain filling as compared to the diploids and showed a slower rate of senescence. RuBPCO content was higher in the diploids as compared to Kundan and HD 4530 at anthesis. However, the rate of decline in RuBPCO content per day was also higher in the diploids. This degradation in RuBPCO was mediated by high endoproteolytic activities in the diploids which in turn supported its higher rate of N mobilization as compared to the tetraploid and hexaploid wheat. Acidic endopeptidases were responsible for the mobilization of flag leaf nitrogen in wheat across ploidy levels (r=–0.582, p<0.01).