Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Proline accumulation and the expression of Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase in two safflower cultivars

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:
Biologia Plantarum

Abstract

Proline (Pro) accumulation under water stress was measured in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) drought tolerant cv. A1 and sensitive cv. Nira. Activities of pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (P5C reductase) and pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5C synthetase), two enzymes involved in the Pro biosynthetic pathway were also estimated. Water stress resulted in a reduction in the leaf dry mass and chlorophyll content along with a gradual accumulation of Pro. RT-PCR results show higher expression of Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (p5cs) gene in correlation with up-regulated Pro accumulation in cv. A1. P5C reductase was found to be the Pro synthesis rate limiting whereas P5C synthetase did not show any specific response to the drought stress in both cultivars.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Abbreviations

p5cs :

pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase gene

P5C reductase:

pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase

P5C synthetase:

pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase

Pro:

proline

RT-PCR:

reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction

Reference

  • Arnon, D.I.: Copper enzyme in isolated chloroplast polyphenol oxidase in Beta vulgaris. — Plant Physiol. 24: 1–15, 1949.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bates, L.S., Waldren, R.P., Teare, E.D.: Rapid determination of free proline for stress studies. — Plant Soil 39: 205–208, 1973.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bhatia, P.K., Muktar, A., Vaidyanathan, C.S.: Chloroplastic glutamine synthetase from normal and water stressed safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) leaves. — Plant Sci. 95: 153–164, 1994.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bradford, M.: A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principles of protein dye binding. — Anal Biochem. 72: 248–254, 1996.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chiang, H.H., Dandekar, A.M.: Regulation of proline accumulation in Arabidopsis thaliana Heynh. during development and in response to desiccation. — Plant Cell Environ. 18: 1280–1290, 1995.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cushman, J.C.: Osmoregulation in plants: implications for agriculture. — Amer. Zool. 41: 758–769, 2001.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Datta, K., Schmiit, A., Marces, A.: Characterization of two soybean repetitive proline rich proteins and a cognate cDNA from germinated axes. — Plant Cell 1: 9445–952, 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delauney. A.J., Verma, D.P.S.: Proline biosynthesis and osmoregulation in plants. — Plant J. 4: 215–223, 1993.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dordas, A.C., Sioulas, C.: Safflower yield, chlorophyll content, photosynthesis, and water use efficiency response to nitrogen fertilization under rainfed conditions. — Ind. Crops Prod. 27: 75–85, 2008.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fabro, G., Kovacs, I., Pavet, V., Szabados, L., Alvarez, M.E.: Proline accumulation and AtP5CS2 gene activation are induced plant pathogen incompatible interactions in Arabidopsis. — Mol. Plant Microbe Interact. 17: 343–350, 2004.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fujita, T., Maggio, A., Garcia-Rios, M., Bressan, R.A., Csonka, L.N.: Comparative analysis of the regulation of expression and structures of two evolutionarily divergent genes for Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase from tomato. — Plant Physiol. 118: 661–674, 1998.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ginzberg, I., Stein, H., Kapulnik, Y., Szabados, L., Strizhov, N., Schell, J., Koncz, C., Zilberstein, A.: Isolation and characterization of two different cDNAs of Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase in alfalfa transcriptionally induced upon salt stress. — Plant mol. Biol. 38: 755–764, 1998.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hayzer, D.J., Leisinger, T.: The gene and enzyme relationships of proline biosynthesis in Escherichia coli. — J. gen. Microbiol. 118: 287–293, 1980.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hein, D.T., Jacobs, M., Angenon, G., Hermans, C., Thu, T.T., Son, L.V., Roosens, N.H.: Proline accumulation and Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase gene properties in three rice cultivars differing in salinity and drought tolerance. — Plant Sci. 165: 1059–1068, 2003.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, C.A., Delauney, A.J., Verma, D.P.S.: A bifunctional Δ1-enzymepyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase catalyzes the first two steps in proline biosynthesis in plants. — Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. 89: 9354–9358, 1992.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khidse, S.R., Bhale, N.L., Boriker, S.T.: Proline accumulation of and chlorophyll stability index in Sorghum. — Sorghum News Lett. 25: 123–128, 1982.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kishor, P.B.K., Hong, Z., Miao, C.H., Hu, C.A.A., Verma, D.P.S.: Overexpression of Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase increases proline production and confers osmotolerance in transgenic plants. — Plant Physiol. 108: 1387–1394, 1995.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, S.G., Matta Reddy, A., Sudhakar, C.: NaCl effects on proline metabolism in two high yielding genotypes of mulberry (Morus alba L.) with contrasting salt tolerance. — Plant Sci. 165: 1245–1251, 2003.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Madan, S., Nainawate, H.S., Jain, R.K., Chowdhury, J.B.: Proline metabolizing enzymes in in vitro selected NaCltolerant Brassica juncea L. under salt stress. — Ann Bot. 76: 51–55. 1995.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ramanjulu, S., Sudhakar, C.: Alleviation of NaCl salinity stress by calcium is partly related to the increased proline accumulation in mulberry (Morus alba L.) callus. — J. Plant Biol. 28: 203–206, 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramanjulu, S., Sudhakar, C.: Proline metabolism during dehydration in two mulberry genotypes with contrasting drought tolerance. — J. Plant Physiol. 157: 81–85, 2000.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reddy, P.C.O., Sairanganayakulu, G., Thippeswamy, M., Sudhakar Reddy, P., Reddy, M.K., Chinta Sudhakar.: Identification of stress induced genes from the drought tolerant semi-arid legume crop horsegram (Macrotyloma uniflorum (Lam.) Verdc.) through analysis of subtracted expressed sequence tags. — Plant Sci. 175: 372–384, 2008.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rena, A.B., Splittstoesser, W.E.: Proline dehydrogenase and proline-5-carboxylate reductase from pumpkin cotyledons. — Phytochemistry 14: 657–661, 1975.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roosens, N.H., Thu, T.T., Iskandar, H.M., Jacobs, M.: Isolation of the ornithine-γ-aminotransferase cDNA and effect of salt stress on its expression in Arabidopsis thaliana. — Plant Physiol. 117: 263–271, 1998.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rout, N.P., Shaw, B.P.: Salinity tolerance in aquatic macrophytes: probable role of proline, the enzymes involved in its synthesis and C4 type of metabolism. — Plant Sci. 136: 121–130, 1998.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sawahel, W.A., Hassan, A.H.: Generation of transgenic wheat plants producing high levels of the osmoprotectant proline. — Biotechnol. Lett. 24: 721–725, 2002.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schwab, K., Heber, U.: Thylakoid membrane stability in drought tolerant and drought-sensitive plants. — Planta 161: 37–45, 1984.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Silva-Ortega, C.O., Ochoa-Alfaro, A.E., Reyes-Aguero, J.A., Aguado-Santacruz, G.A., Jimenez-Bremont, J.F.: Salt stress increases the expression of p5cs gene and induces proline accumulation in cactus pear. — Plant Physiol Biochem. 46: 82–92, 2008.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Szekely, G., Abraham, E., Cseplo, A., Rigo, G., Zsigmond, L., Csiszar, J., Ayaydin, F., Strizhov, N., Jasik, J., Schmelzer, E., Koncz, C., Szabados, L.: Duplicated p5cs genes of Arabidopsis play distinct roles in stress regulation and developmental control of proline biosynthesis. — Plant J. 53: 11–28, 2008.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Veeranagamallaiah, G., Chandraobulreddy, P., Jyothsnakumari, G., Chinta Sudhakar.: Glutamine synthetase expression and pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase activity influence proline accumulation in two cultivars of foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) with differential salt sensitivity. — Environ. exp. Bot. 60: 239–244, 2007.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Verbruggen. N., Hermans, C.: Proline accumulation in plants: a review. — Amino Acids 35: 753–759, 2008.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Y., Nii, N.: Changes in chlorophyll, ribulosebisphosphatecarboxylase-oxygenase, glycine betaine content, photosynthesis and transpiration in Amaranthus tricolor leaves during salt stress. — J. hort. Sci Biotechnol. 75: 623–627, 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Z.Q., Yuan, Y.Z., Ou, J.Q., Lin, Q.H., Zhang, C.F.: Glutamine synthetase and glutamate dehydrogenase contribute differentially to proline accumulation in leaves of wheat (Triticum aestivum) seedlings exposed to different salinity. — J. Plant Physiol. 164: 695–701, 2007.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yamada, M., Morishita, H., Urano, K., Shiozaki, N., Yamaguchi-Shinozaki, K., Shinozaki, K., Yoshiba, Y.: Effects of free proline accumulation in petunias under drought stress. — J. exp. Bot. 56: 1975–1981, 2005.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshiba, Y., Kiyosue, T., Katagiri, T., Ueda, H., Mizoguchi, T., Yamaguchi-Shinozaki, K., Wada, K., Harada, Y., Shinozaki, K.: Correlation between the induction of a gene for Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase and the accumulation of proline in Arabidopsis thaliana under osmotic stress. — Plant J. 7: 751–760, 1995.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, C.S., Lu, Q., Verma, D.P.S.: Removal of feedback inhibition of Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase, a bifunctional enzyme catalyzing the first two steps of proline biosynthesis in plants. — J. biol. Chem. 270: 20491–20496, 1995.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was conducted as part of the “Biotechnology for Dry Land Agriculture in Andhra Pradesh“ programme with the financial support from the Research and Communication Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Government of Netherlands, through APNL-BTU, Hyderabad.

Author information

Author notes

  1. B. Sinilal

    Present address: Institute of Plant Sciences, Agriculture Research Organization, Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, 50250, Israel

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, Sri Krishnadeveraya University, Anantapur, 515003, India

    M. Thippeswamy, P. Chandraobulreddy, B. Sinilal, M. Shiva Kumar & Chinta Sudhakar

Authors
  1. M. Thippeswamy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. Chandraobulreddy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. B. Sinilal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M. Shiva Kumar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Chinta Sudhakar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Thippeswamy.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Thippeswamy, M., Chandraobulreddy, P., Sinilal, B. et al. Proline accumulation and the expression of Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase in two safflower cultivars. Biol Plant 54, 386–390 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-010-0070-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-010-0070-7

Additional key words

Search

Navigation