Superoxide Dismutase and Catalase Activity As an Indicator of the Ontogenetic State of the Threatened Lichen Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm. in the Middle Boreal Subzone

It is well-known that the switch of an organism ontogenetic state is accompanied with the change in metabolic status, especially, the activity of antioxidant system enzymes. However, there is still lack of knowledge about the internal changes which occur during the shift between ontogenetic stages in lichens. In this study, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were measured for Lobaria pulmonaria thalli from middle boreal subzone on the Karelian Republic territory. We have shown that the transition between ontogenetic stages in L. pulmonaria could be observed not only by the set of morphological features, but also by changes in the activity of SOD and CAT for the first time. Therefore, we have made a conclusion that the enzyme activity could be the basis for more justified separation of different ontogenetic stages and identifying processes associated with aging.