Oxidative activity of mitochondria isolated from plant tissues sensitive and resistant to chilling injury

Arrhenius plots of the respiration rates of mitochondria isolated from chilling sensitive plant tissues (tomato and cucumber fruit, and sweet potato roots) showed a linear decrease from 25 C to about 9 to 12 C (with Q(10) values of 1.3 to 1.6), at which point there was a marked deviation with an increased slope as temperatures were reduced to 1.5 C (Q(10) of 2.2 to 6.3). The log of the respiration rate of mitochondria from chilling resistant tissues (cauliflower buds, potato tubers, and beet roots) showed a linear decrease over the entire temperature range from 25 to 1.5 C with Q(10) values of 1.7 to 1.8. Phosphorylative efficiency of mitochondria from all the tissues, as measured by ADP:O and respiratory control ratios, was not influenced by temperatures from 25 to 1.5 C. These results indicate that an immediate response of sensitive plant tissues to temperatures in the chilling range (0 to 10 C) is to depress mitochondrial respiration to an extent greater than that predicted from Q(10) values measured above 10 C. The results are also consistent with the hypothesis that a phase change occurs in the mitochondrial membrane as the result of a physical effect of temperature on some membrane component such as membrane lipids.