Calcium promotes activity and confers heat stability on plant peroxidases

In this paper we demonstrate how peroxidase (PO) activities and their heat stability correlate with the availability of free Ca(2+) ions. Calcium ions work as a molecular switch for PO activity and exert a protective function, rendering POs heat stable. The concentration ranges of these two activities differ markedly. POs are activated by µM Ca(2+) concentration ranges, whereas heat stabilization is observed in the nM range. This suggests the existence of different Ca(2+) binding sites. The heat stability of POs depends on the source plant species. Terrestrial plants have POs that exhibit higher temperature stability than those POs from limnic and marine plants. Different POs from a single species can differ in terms of heat stability. The abundance of different POs within a plant is dependent on age and developmental stage. The heat stability of a PO does not necessarily correlate with the maximum temperature the source species is usually exposed to in its natural habitat. This raises questions on the role of POs in the heat tolerance of plants. Consequently, detailed investigations are needed to identify and characterize individual POs, with regard to their genetic origin, subcellular expression, tissue abundance, developmental emergence and their functions in innate and acquired heat tolerance.