Abstract
This investigation was carried out to clarify the changes of pigments and soluble protein, and photosystem II activity in the leaves of barley (${SO}_2$-sensitive) and corn (${SO}_2$-resistant) seedlings induced by the ${SO}_2$ fumigation (10, 50ppm). The pH changes of the leaf extract, the content of sulfite and sulfate, the activities of catalase, peroxidase, and polyphenoloxidase were compared in the leaves of barley and corn seedlings induced by ${SO}_2$ fumigation. The results are summarized as follows: An appreciable effect of pH change of leaf extract by ${SO}_2$ fumigation was observed in barley leaves (pH 6.10 to 5.18), but only a small change occurred in corn leaves (pH 5.66 to 5.50). The same pattern of pH changes was recorded when the solution of 0.2N HCl was added to leaf extract, providing lower buffering capacity of the barley leaves than corn leaves. After 2 hours of exposure to 10 ppm ${SO}_2$, the contents of ${SO}^{2-}_3$ and ${SO}^{2-}_4$ were increased in barley leaves, while only ${SO}^{2-}_4$ increased in corn leaves. After fumigation with 10ppm ${SO}_2$ for 2 hours, barley leaves showed significant decreases in activities of catalase, to 17% peroxidase, to 58%, and polyphenoloxidase, to 88%. Corn leaves showed increases in activities of peroxidase, to 136%, and polyphenoloxidase, to 128%. Absorption spectra of pigments obtained from ${SO}_2$-fumigated leaves were gradually decreased with the fumigation time increases, but the decrease was more significant in barley leaves. Fumigation with 50ppm ${SO}_2$ for 2 hours induced the greatest decomposition in carotenoid, followed by chlorophyll a and then chlorophyll b in barley leaves. The ratio of chlorophyll a/b was decreased from 4.1 to 3.6 in barley leaves, but in corn leaves it was maintained almost a constant level(4.9-4.8). The rate of decomposition of chlorophyll and carotenoid in corn leaves was very slow than those in the barley leaves. Fumigation with 50 ppm ${SO}_2$ for 2 hous, decreased the protein content of barley leaves to 59%, and that of corn leaves to 89%, and the extent of decrease in protein content was greater than that of pigments in barley and corn leaves. The rate of DCIP9dichlorophenol indophenol) photoreduction in ${SO}_2$-fumigated leaves was decreased to 18 and 67% in barley and corn leaves, respectively. However, DCIP photoreduction was considerably recovered about 32 and 92% with the addition of DPC(diphenylcarbazide) as an exogenous electron donor in barley and corn leaves, respectively.