Germination of radish (Raphanus sativus cv Eterna) seeds can be inhibited by far-red light (high-irradiance reaction of phytochrome) or abscisic acid (ABA). Gibberellic acid (GA 3 ) restores full germination under far-red light. This experimental system was used to investigate the release of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) by seed coats and embryos during germination, utilizing the apoplastic oxidation of 2Ј,7Ј-dichlorofluorescin to fluorescent 2Ј,7Ј-dichlorofluorescein as an in vivo assay. Germination in darkness is accompanied by a steep rise in ROI release originating from the seed coat (living aleurone layer) as well as the embryo. At the same time as the inhibition of germination, far-red light and ABA inhibit ROI release in both seed parts and GA 3 reverses this inhibition when initiating germination under far-red light. During the later stage of germination the seed coat also releases peroxidase with a time course affected by far-red light, ABA, and GA 3 . The participation of superoxide radicals, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl radicals in ROI metabolism was demonstrated with specific in vivo assays. ROI production by germinating seeds represents an active, developmentally controlled physiological function, presumably for protecting the emerging seedling against attack by pathogens.

Reactive oxygen intermediates, i.e. the superoxide radical (O*-)(2), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and the hydroxyl radical (*OH), are generally regarded as harmful products of oxygenic metabolism causing cell damage in plants, animals and microorganisms. However, oxygen radical chemistry may also play a useful role in polymer breakdown leading to wall loosening during extension growth of plant cells controlled by the phytohormone auxin. Backbone cleavage of cell wall polysaccharides can be accomplished in vitro by (*OH) produced from H2O2 in a Fenton reaction or in a reaction catalyzed by peroxidase supplied with O2 and NADH. Here, we show that coleoptile growth of maize seedlings is accompanied by the release of reactive oxygen intermediates in the cell wall. Auxin promotes release of (O*-)(2) and subsequent generation of (*OH)when inducing elongation growth. Experimental generation of (*OH) in the wall causes an increase in wall extensibility in vitro and replaces auxin in inducing growth. Auxin-induced growth can be inhibited by scavengers of (O*-)(2), H2O2 or (*OH), or inhibitors interfering with the formation of these molecules in the cell wall. These results provide the experimental background for a novel hypothesis on the mechanism of plant cell growth in which (*OH), produced from (O*-)(2) and H2O2 by cell wall peroxidase, acts as a wall-loosening agent.

Using the tetrazolium salt XTT (Na,3'-[(phe-nylamino)-carbonyl]-3,4-tetrazolium]-bis(4-methoxy-6-nitro)benzenesulfonic acid hydrate) as a sensitive and physiologically compatible probe for the determination of superoxide (O2*-) production in vivo, we have shown that maize (Zea mays L.) coleoptiles possess the capacity of generating O2*- in the apoplastic space. Our results are in agreement with the notion that this activity is localized at the plasma membrane and can be attributed to an O2*--synthesizing enzyme with catalytic and kinetic properties similar to that of the NADPH oxidase of mammalian phagocytes, with the important exception that it utilizes NADH instead of NADPH as electron donor. When applied to the apoplastic space, NADH strongly increased the O2*--producing activity of coleoptiles. The maize NADH-dependent O2*--synthase activity could clearly be differentiated from peroxidase-mediated O2*--synthesizing activity by its insensitivity to cyanide and azide, as well as by its much higher affinity to O2. Formation of O2*-, and concomitantly appearing H2O2, was preferentially localized in the outer epidermis of the coleoptile. The physiological significance of O2*- and H2O2 production in relation to the growth-controlling function of the epidermal cell wall is discussed.

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H2O2 production by roots of young seedlings was monitored using a non‐destructive in vivo assay at pH 5.0. A particularly high rate of H2O2 production was measured in the roots of soybean (Glycine max L. cv. Labrador) seedlings which were used for further investigation of the physiological and enzymological properties of apoplastic H2O2 production. In the soybean root H2O2 production can be stimulated 10‐fold by exogenous NADH or NADPH. This response displays typical features of a peroxidase‐catalyzed oxidase reaction using NAD(P)H as electron donor for the reduction of O2 to H2O2. Comparative measurements showed that the NADH‐induced H2O2 production of the roots resembles the H2O2‐forming activity of horseradish peroxidase with respect to NADH and O2 concentration requirements and sensitivity to inhibition by KCN, NaN3, superoxide dismutase and catalase. NADH‐induced H2O2 production can be observed with similar intensity in all regions of the root, in agreement with the distribution of apoplastic peroxidase activity. In contrast, the activity responsible for the basal H2O2 production in the absence of exogenous NADH was mainly confined to a short subapical zone of the root and differs from the NADH‐induced reaction by insensitivity to inhibition by superoxide dismutase and a strikingly lower requirement for O2. It is concluded that the basal H2O2 production of the root is mediated by an enzyme different from peroxidase, possibly a plasma membrane O2−‐producing oxidase.