Treatment with methyl jasmonate alleviates the effects of paraquat on photosynthesis in barley plants

Abstract

Twelve-day-old barley seedlings were supplied with 23 μM methyl jasmonate (MeJA) or 10 μM paraquat (Pq) via the transpiration stream and kept in the dark for 24 h. Then they were exposed to 100 μmol m-2 s-1 PAR and samples were taken 1, 2, 3, and 6 h after irradiation. Treatment of seedlings with MeJA alone resulted in decreased content of chlorophyll (Ch1), and net photosynthetic (PN) and transpiration rates. Pq treatment led to a decrease in Ch1 content and to a very strong inhibition of PN, the effects were manifested by 1 h of irradiation. Pq treatment did not affect the activity of ribulose-1,5 bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBPC, EC 4.1.1.39) but increased the activity of the photorespiratory enzymes phosphoglycolate phosphatase (PGP, EC 3.1.3.18), glycolate oxidase (GO, EC 1.1.3.1), and catalase (EC 1.11.1.6). Pretreatment of seedlings with MeJA before exposure to Pq fully blocked the inhibitory effect of Pq on photosynthesis and protected against subsequent Pq-induced oxidative damage.