131 PEROXIDATIVE CHALLENGE OF PLASMA MEMBRANE VESICLES FROM BELL PEPPER FRUIT LEADS TO DECREASED H+ATPase ACTIVITY
-Lipid peroxidation has been proposed as an important factor in chilling injury of susceptible fruits and vegetables. The effect of in vitro peroxidative challenge on H+ATPase activity in intact plasma membrane vesicles and solubilized enzyme was determined by incubation with (1) deionized water (control), (2) Fe3+-ascorbate, and (3) lipoxygenase (LOX) + phospholipase A2(PLA2) for 0, 30, and 60 min. Enzyme activity increased throughout the incubation period with no accumulation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBA-RS) in the control, but vesicles challenged by the peroxidative systems showed significant increases in TBA-RS and decreases in membrane-bound H+ATPase activity. Greater losses in H+ATPase activity were observed in solubilized enzyme than in intact vesicles. The results indicate that loss of H+ATPase activity due to chemical modification of the protein rather than changes in membrane fluidity and suggest that modification is away from the active site.