Investigation of hydrogen peroxide formation in plants

A convenient and simple electrophoretic procedure was used to study the NAD(P)H-dependent generation of the hydrogen peroxide needed for the polymerization of coniferyl alcohol by peroxidases from the wood of Ailanthus glandulosa. The results showed that an NAD(P)H-dependent generation of hydrogen peroxide could be brought about by either: a FMN or riboflavin-dependent system; or a Mn²⁺ -dependent system. The most active system was the one incorporating Mn²⁺, followed closely by that incorporating riboflavin. In nature it appears that the method of hydrogen peroxide formation is determined by the amounts of cofactors present in the lignifying tissue. Because no quantitative data are available in the literature, further studies of the concentrations of these cofactors in the plant cell-wall are needed.