Physiological integration of antioxidant enzymes and malondialdehyde in connected and disconnected Zoysia japonica clonal ramet under nutrient heterogeneity

Using a clonal Zoysia japonica plant as the experimental subject, connected and disconnected ramets were treated with different nutrient concentrations, and the study was conducted to analyze changes in antioxidant enzyme activity and malondialdehyde level in Z. japonica under nutrient heterogeneity. The results indicated that parent ramets treated with moderate or high nutrient concentrations had significantly increased the activities of SOD and CAT, and reduced MDA level in connected daughter ramets under nutrient heterogeneity. Contrastingly, daughter ramets treated with moderate or high nutrient concentrations exerted no influence on antioxidant enzyme activity and malondialdehyde level in connected parent ramets. There existed a physiological integration from parent ramets to daughter ramets, and daughter ramets benefited from parent ramets under nutrient heterogeneity; however, parent ramets did not benefit from daughter ramets. Daughter ramets were the unidirectional beneficiaries of the physiological integration.