The source of reactive oxygen species in the wound response of Saccharina latissima (Linnaeus) C.E.Lane, C.Mayes, Druehl & G.W.Saunders

Abstract

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are commonly produced by cells to defend against invading pathogens. As such, ROS are an important feature of wound responses in organisms as distantly related as algae, vascular plants, and animals. However, despite the fact that most pathogen-elicited oxidative burst are of enzymatic origin, the origin of wound-induced ROS is unknown. In this study, I identified a wound-induced oxidative burst in the kelp Saccharina latissima, and this oxidative burst was investigated at different light levels. Both sham wounding and wounding led to ROS production that varied with light level, although the relationship between the magnitude of the oxidative burst and irradiance was not linear. Since the wound-induced burst of S. latissima is affected by light level, it probably has its origins in accidental ROS formation due to the breakdown of the photosynthetic electron transport chain.