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Hormonal Responses to Water Deficit in Cambial Tissues of Populus alba L.

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Abstract

Changes in the concentrations of bioactive gibberellins and abscisic acid in the cambial region of white poplar (Populus alba L.) were investigated in 1-year-old plants, to highlight how these phytohormone signals are modulated in response to water deficit. Plants were cultivated in pots outdoor and, at the time of maximum cambial growth (T 0), irrigation was withdrawn for 8 days, inducing a mild water deficit, thus mimicking a condition that is recurrent in Mediterranean climates when white poplar attains its maximum growth rate. The water deficit was suspended by resuming irrigation (T max) throughout a recovery period of 2 weeks (T rec). Cambial tissues were sampled at T 0, T max, and T rec. Significant changes of leaf and stem relative water content, leaf water potential, stomatal conductance, transpiration, carbon assimilation, stem shrinkage, and leaf number were induced by soil water shortage, which also negatively affected cambium development. Nevertheless, these responses were almost fully reversed following the resumption of irrigation. Water deficit induced the accumulation of large amounts of abscisic acid in cambial tissues, but the hormone was brought back to pre-stress levels after the recovery period. With regard to bioactive gibberellins, GA1 was several folds more abundant than GA4 and reached the greatest level in the plants recovering from the water status imbalance. The possible functions of gibberellins and abscisic acid in the response of cambial tissues to water deficit are discussed in view of the known physiological roles and molecular mechanisms of action of these hormonal signals.

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Acknowledgments

The study was supported by the “Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca” (Project “Physiological parameters for the selection of poplar genotypes with enhanced resistance to water stress for the exploitation of marginal areas”) and by “ENTE Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze” (Project No. 2007.0799, “Global change, water resources and wood quality: new strategies for poplar”).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Pisa, via L. Ghini, 5, 56124, Pisa, Italy

    Alessandro Luisi & Carlo Sorce

  2. Trees and Timber Insitute, National Research Council of Italy, via Madonna del Piano, 10, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy

    Alessio Giovannelli, Maria Laura Traversi & Monica Anichini

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  1. Alessandro Luisi
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  2. Alessio Giovannelli
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  3. Maria Laura Traversi
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  4. Monica Anichini
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  5. Carlo Sorce
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Correspondence to Carlo Sorce.

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Luisi, A., Giovannelli, A., Traversi, M.L. et al. Hormonal Responses to Water Deficit in Cambial Tissues of Populus alba L.. J Plant Growth Regul 33, 489–498 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-013-9401-1

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