Variation in response of Arabidopsis thaliana lines to atmospheric SO2 exposure

Thirteen lines of Arabidopsis thaliana L. of world-wide origin were exposed to 0.65 mul l(-1) SO2 for 11 days. Shoot growth of most lines was hardly a ffected. Growth of one line, originating from Tadjikistan, was negatively a ffected upon SO2 exposure and this line developed acute injury symptoms as leaf necrosis. There was some variation in the sulfate and water-soluble no n-protein thiol content between the lines. SO2 exposure resulted in a 2- to 3-fold increase in shoot sulfate content, whereas there was only a slight increase in the thiol content. A. thaliana appeared to be a rather SO2 tole rant species with little intraspecific variation.