Peroxisomal Localization of CuZn Superoxide Dismutase in the Male Reproductive Tissues of the Olive Tree

Superoxide dismutases (SODs) are a class of antioxidant enzymes which catalyze the dismutation of superoxide into oxygen and hydrogen peroxide, therefore controlling cellular levels of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). In the mature pollen grains of the olive tree, the presence of several forms of CuZn-SOD and the cytosolic localization of the enzyme have been described. The present study was aimed to elucidate the adaptation of the oxidative metabolism to the changing conditions occurring during the course of olive pollen formation, hydration and pollen tube emergence and growth. We used a polyclonal antibody (raised against a KLH-linked synthetic peptide including a consensus sequence for CuZn-SODs in olive pollen) in immunocytochemical experiments carried out by Fluorescence (FM) and Transmission Electron Microcopy (TEM).