Abstract
Aims
Here, we assess the differential impact of drought on root carbon metabolism in the widely cultivated alfalfa (Medicago sativa, Ms) and the model legume Medicago truncatula (Mt). Understanding how carbon allocation is regulated under drought stress conditions is a central issue to improving alfalfa productivity under future climate change scenarios.
Methods
Alfalfa and Medicago truncatula were compared under water deficit conditions. Root carbon metabolism of the taproot and fibrous roots was analysed. M. truncatula drought tolerance variability was compared to that of alfalfa using six accessions of the Medicago Hapmap project. The prominent taproot is much less developed in M. truncatula than in alfalfa with the former exhibiting an extensive fibrous root system.
Results
In both examined Medicago species the taproot contained the major pools of soluble protein, sucrose and pinitol, whereas the major pools of hexoses and carbon metabolism enzymes appeared to be in the fibrous roots. Under water-deficit conditions, the response of M. sativa strongly differed from that of M. truncatula at the root level.
Conclusions
Water deficit conditions differentially modulate the root carbon metabolism of M. sativa and M. truncatula. Mt maintained a more active carbon metabolism in the fibRs, as sucrose, myo-inositol and pinitol accumulated to cope with the water deficit (WD). Conversely, the root system of Ms did not accumulate cyclitols and carbon metabolism was more severely affected under water deficit conditions. This differentially exerted control may determine the drought response of these two close relatives.
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Abbreviations
- C:
-
control
- DW:
-
dry weight
- G6PDH:
-
glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase
- fibRs:
-
fibrous roots
- FW:
-
fresh weight
- g s :
-
stomatal conductance
- INV:
-
alkaline invertase
- MD:
-
moderate deficit
- Ms :
-
Medicago sativa
- Mt :
-
Medicago truncatula
- SuSy:
-
sucrose synthase
- T:
-
transpiration
- tapRs:
-
taproots
- WC:
-
water content
- WD:
-
water deficit
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Acknowledgements
Andres Echeverria was supported by a predoctoral fellowship from the Government of Navarra. We would like to thank Dr. Gustavo Garijo for technical assistance and the seed bank of the Medicago truncatula Hapmap Project consortium for supplying seeds.
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Fig S1
(a) Percentage of transpiration (T) and (b) stomatal conductance (gs) of WD-treated plants, expressed as a percentage of the control levels in Medicago sativa (Ms) and Medicago truncatula HM307 (Mt. HM307) during the first 4 days of WD treatment which lasted for 7 days. Bars represent the mean ± SE (n = 4). The transpiration of control plants on day 1 was 97.16 ± 3.68 and 102.42 ± 5.60 g of water per g shoot DW for Ms and Mt. HM307, respectively. The stomatal conductance of control plants on day 1 was 0.34 ± 0.03 and 0.32 ± 0.02 nmol m−2 s−1 for Ms and Mt. HM307, respectively. An asterisk indicates significant differences between the control and water deficit treatments (Student’s t test, P ≤ 0.05). Different letters indicate significant differences between varieties and days 1–4 into the water deficit treatment according to Duncan’s test (P ≤ 0.05) (PDF 11 kb)
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Echeverria, A., Gonzalez, E.M. Root system of Medicago sativa and Medicago truncatula: drought effects on carbon metabolism. Plant Soil 463, 249–263 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-04912-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-04912-1