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Involvement of abscisic acid in fructan hydrolysis and starch biosynthesis in wheat under soil drying

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Abstract

This study investigated the possibility that abscisic acid (ABA) may mediate the effect of post-anthesis soil drying on carbon remobilization from the stem and grain filling through regulating fructan hydrolysis and starch biosynthesis in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Two wheat cultivars showing difference in plant height were pot-grown. Three treatments, well watered (WW), moderate soil drying (MD) and severe soil drying (SD, were imposed from 9 days post-anthesis until maturity. The results showed that ABA contents in stems and grains, the remobilization of carbon reserves from the stem and its contribution to grain yield, and activities and gene expression levels of the enzymes involved in fructan hydrolysis in stems were increased with the increase in soil drying. When compared with the WW, the MD substantially increased, but the SD markedly decreased, grain filling rate, grain weight, and starch biosynthetic ability, in terms of activities and gene expression levels of ADP glucose pyrophosphorylase, soluble starch synthase, and starch branching enzyme in grains. The two cultivars showed the same tendency. ABA content was positively correlated with the remobilization of carbon reserves, and positively correlated with grain filling rate and starch biosynthetic ability under both WW and MD treatments. Exogenous application of a low concentration ABA to WW plants imitated the results under the MD, and applying with a high concentration ABA showed the effect of the SD. In summary, ABA enhances fructan hydrolysis in wheat stems and regulates starch biosynthesis in the grain.

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Abbreviations

ABA:

Abscisic acid

AGPase:

ADP glucose pyrophosphorylase

AGPL:

ADP glucose pyrophosphorylase large subunit

AGPS:

ADP glucose pyrophosphorylase small subunit

DAS:

Days after sowing

DBE:

Debranching enzyme

DPA:

Days post-anthesis

1-FEH:

Fructan 1-exohydrolase

6-FEH:

Fructan 6-exohydrolase

GBSS:

Granule bound starch synthase

MD:

Moderate soil-drying

NCED:

9-Cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase

ψleaf :

Leaf water potential

ψsoil :

Soil water potential

SBE:

Starch branching enzyme

SD:

Severe soil-drying

SS:

Starch synthase

SSS:

Soluble starch synthase

WSCs:

Water soluble carbohydrates

WW:

Well-watered

ZEP:

Zeaxanthin epoxidase

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful for grants from the National Basic Research Program (973 Program, 2012CB114306), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31461143015; 31271641, 31471438), the National Key Technology Support Program of China (2012BAD04B08; 2014AA10A605), Jiangsu Creation Program for Post-graduation Students (KYZZ15-0364), the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD), the Top Talent Supporting Program of Yangzhou University (2015-01) and Shenzhen Overseas Talents Innovation & Entrepreneurship Funding Scheme (The Peacock Scheme).

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  1. Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China

    Yunji Xu, Weiyang Zhang, Chenxin Ju, Yinyin Li & Jianchang Yang

  2. School of Life Sciences and State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China

    Jianhua Zhang

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  1. Yunji Xu
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Correspondence to Jianchang Yang.

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Xu, Y., Zhang, W., Ju, C. et al. Involvement of abscisic acid in fructan hydrolysis and starch biosynthesis in wheat under soil drying. Plant Growth Regul 80, 265–279 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-016-0164-0

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