SUMMARYSpring wheat {Triticum aestivum L, cv, Drabant) was exposed to different concentrations of ozone in open-top chambers in a Held of commercially grown wheat. The following treatments were used: charcoal-Hltered air (CF), non-filtered air (iNF) and non-filtered air supplemented with 25 nl 1"^ ozone (NF-f) and 35 nl 1"' ozone {NF-f-+) for 7hd"'. Flag leaves were analysed for chlorophyll content, total fatty acid composition and fatty acid compositions and contents of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG), phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), I'he chlorophyll content decreased significantly with time and ozone concentration. After 4 wk of exposure, the content of MGDG was significantly lower in flag leaves from the NF+ + treatments than in those from the other treatments. The contents of DGDG and PC also decreased while that of PE increased, although these changes were not statistically significant. In the total lipid extract the proportion of 18:3 decreased with time and ozone concentration. Similar changes occurred in MGDG 18:3 at a later stage. Using the concept of accumulated exposure over threshold (AOT), it was evident that the parameters studied differed in ozone sensitivity. After 4 wk of exposure, the best linear dose-response relationships between accumulated exposure and chlorophyll as weli as MGDG contents were obtained with a threshold ozone concentration of 30 n! 1"V For total lipid 18:3 and MGDG 18:3 the corresponding thresholds were 40 and 50 nl 1"\ respectively. Furthermore, the sensitivity to ozone, expressed as loss of chlorophyll, increased with increasing fiag leaf age. In leaves exposed for 7, 13 and 20 d, the best linear fits were obtained with AOT50, AOT40 and AOT30, respectively. In conclusion, ozone sensitivity increased with Hag leaf age and different membrane constituents were differently sensitive to ozone. The results support previous suggestions that ozone causes premature senescence m wheat Bag leaves.