In vivo redox state of the ubiquinone pool in the spadices of the thermogenic skunk cabbage, Symplocarpus renifolius

In vivo ubiquinone (UQ) reduction levels were determined in thermogenic stigma and post-thermogenic male stages of spadices of the skunk cabbage, Symplocarpus renifolius. In contrast to Arum maculatum, in which the UQ pool is almost fully reduced during thermogenesis, the reduction levels of UQ9 and UQ10 were not affected by the thermogenic status or developmental stage of individual S. renifolius spadices. Moreover, these levels were controlled within the ranges 40-75% and 35-60%, respectively. These results suggest that the reduction state of the UQ pool per se is not primarily involved in thermoregulation in S. renifolius.