CORRELATION BETWEEN ASCORBATE PEROXIDASE-ACTIVITY AND SOME ANOMALIES OF SEEDLINGS FROM AGED CARYOPSES OF DASYPYRUM-VILLOSUM (L) BORB

Dasypyrum villosum (L.) Borb. produces two types of caryopses in the same ear: some are <<clear>> and slightly larger, others <<dark>> and smaller. In this paper we demonstrate that the germination capacity of <<clear>> caryopses drops strongly during aging and some anomalies appear in the seedlings. On the contrary, the <<dark>> caryopses maintain an elevated germination capacity for a long time and normal seedlings are formed. Analysis of the ascorbic acid system shows that caryopsis aging does not affect either AA biosynthesis or AFR reductase activity; a drop in DHA reductase activity, similar in both seedlings from <<clear>> and <<dark>> caryopses, is observed. AA peroxidase activity, which is high and similar in both seedlings, strongly decreases in the <<clear>> ones during caryopsis aging, while remaining unchanged in the seedlings from the aged <<dark>> caryopses. A possible correlation between AA peroxidase decrease and the anomalies occurring in the seedlings from aged <<clear>> caryopses is indicated.