Elevated ROS-scavenging enzymes contribute to acclimation to UV-B exposure in transplastomic tobacco plants, reducing the role of plastid peroxidases.

Leaf peroxidases play a key role in the successful acclimation of plants to low UV-B doses. The aim of the present study was to examine whether selective enhancement of alternative chloroplast antioxidant pathways achieved by chloroplast transformation affected the need for peroxidase defense. Transplastomic tobacco lines expressing glutathione reductase in combination with either dehydroascorbate reductase or glutathione-S-transferase in their plastids exhibited better tolerance to supplemental UV-B than wild type plants.