Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Thermotolerance and antioxidant response induced by heat acclimation in Freesia seedlings

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Acta Physiologiae Plantarum Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Followed a heat acclimation pretreatment, seedlings of Freesia hybrida ‘Shangnong Jinghuanghou’ were exposed to heat stress at 38°C for 6 h treatment and then recovered at 22°C for 72 h to study the impact of heat acclimation (30°C) on thermotolerance under heat stress. The results showed that the pretreated seedlings performed better under heat stress than control. Heat acclimation could slow down the decrease of chlorophyll contents under heat stress and recover better. Higher levels of soluble sugar and proline and slight lower level of soluble protein were observed in pretreated seedlings. After recovery, similar levels of proline and soluble protein were maintained in all seedlings. However, a higher level of soluble sugar was maintained in pretreated seedlings. MDA content and EL showed a stable level in pretreated seedlings while a significant increase in control, followed by a significant decrease after recovery. Significant different responses of SOD, POD, CAT, and APX activities were observed in pretreated seedlings and control. Heat acclimation led to higher activities of these enzymes and a significant response of antioxidant enzyme activities occurred in a time-dependent manner under heat stress. Exposure to high temperature caused a significant increase in SOD and APX activity, and much higher levels in SOD and APX activity were observed in pretreated seedlings compared to control during heat stress. A slight difference in change pattern of POD and CAT activity was presented. The highest activities of POD and CAT were observed at 4 and 6 h of heat stress in pretreated seedlings and control, respectively. After 72 h recovery, the activities of all tested enzymes decreased to similar levels in all seedlings.

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

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

APX:

Ascorbate peroxidase

CAT:

Catalase

Chl:

Chlorophyll

EL:

Electrolytic leakage

H2O2 :

Hydrogen peroxide

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

O ·−2 :

Superoxide radical

POD:

Peroxidase

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

References

  • Ali B, Hasan SA, Hayat S, Hayat Q, Yadav S, Fariduddin Q, Ahmad A (2008) A role for brassinosteroids in the amelioration of aluminium stress through antioxidant system in mungbean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek). Environ Exp Bot 62:153–159

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Berghoef J, Zevenbergen AP (1990) The effect of air and soil temperature on assimilate partitioning and flower bud initiation of freesia. Acta Hortic 266:169–176

    Google Scholar 

  • Blokhina O, Virolainen E, Gagerstedt KV (2003) Antioxidants, oxidative damage and oxygen deprivation stress: a review. Ann Bot (Lond) 91:179–194

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Camejo D, Jiménez A, Alarcón JJ, Torres W, Gómez JM, Sevilla F (2006) Changes in photosynthetic parameters and antioxidant activities following heat-shock treatment in tomato plants. Funct Plant Biol 33:177–187

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chaitanya KV, Sundar D, Masilamani S, Ramachandra RA (2002) Variation in heat stress-induced antioxidant enzyme activities among three mulberry cultivars. Plant Growth Regul 36:175–180

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen JX, Wang XF (2006) Plant physiology experimental guide. Higher Education Press, Beijing, pp 24–25, 55–56

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis DG, Swanson HR (2001) Activity of stress-related enzymes in the perennial weed leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.). Environ Exp Bot 46:95–108

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • De Hertogh AA, Le Nard M (1993) The physiology of flower bulbs: a comprehensive treatise on the physiology and utilization of ornamental flowering bulbous and tuberous plants. Freesia 21:285–296, Elsevier, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Farooq M, Basra SMA, Wahid A, Cheema ZA, Cheema MA, Khaliq A (2008) Physiological role of exogenously applied glycinebetaine in improving drought tolerance of fine grain aromatic rice (Oryza sativa L.). J Agron Crop Sci 194:325–333

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Foyer CH, Lelandai M, Kunert KJ (1994a) Photooxidative stress in plants. Physiol Plant 92:696–717

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Foyer C, Descourvieres P, Kunert KJ (1994b) Protection against oxygen radicals: an important defense mechanism studied in transgenic plant. Plant Cell Environ 17:507–523

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gong M, Li YJ, Dai X, Tian M, Li ZG (1997) Involvement of calcium and calmodulin in the acquisition of heat-shock-induced thermotolerance in maize seedlings. J Plant Physiol 150:615–621

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gong M, Knight MR, Trewavas AJ (1998) Heat-shock-induced changes of intracellular Ca2+ level in tobacco seedlings in relation to thermotolerance. Plant Physiol 116:429–437

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guo YP, Zhou HF, Zhang LC (2006) Photosynthetic characteristics and protective mechanisms against photooxidation during high temperature stress in two citrus species. Sci Hort 108:260–267

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hao JJ, Zhang KL, Yu Y (2006) Experimental technique of plant physiology. Chemical Industry Press, Beijing (in chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hatice G, Atilla E (2003) Some physiological changes in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa ‘Camarosa’) plants under heat stress. J Hort Sci Biotech 78:894–898

    Google Scholar 

  • Horton P, Ruban AV, Walters RG (1996) Regulation of light harvesting in green plants. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 47:655–684

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Houghton JT, Ding Y, Griggs DJ, Noguer M, Linden PJ, Xiaosu D (2001) Climate change 2001: the scientific basis contribution of working group first to third assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Howarth CJ (2005) Genetic improvements of tolerance to high temperature. In: Ashraf M, Harris PJC (eds) Abiotic stresses: plant resistance through breeding and molecular approaches. Howarth Press Inc., New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Jain M, Mathur G, Konl S, Sarin NB (2001) Ameliorative effects of praline on salt stress lipid peroxidation in cell lines of groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.). Plant Cell Rep 20:463–468

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang YW, Huang BG (2001) Effects of calcium on antioxidant activities and water relations associated with heat tolerance in two cool-season grasses. J Exp Bot 52:341–349

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kavi Kishore PB, Sangam S, Amrutha RN, Laxmi PS, Naidu KR, Rao KRSS, Rao S, Reddy KJ, Theriappan P, Sreenivasulu N (2005) Regulation of proline biosynthesis, degradation, uptake and transport in higher plants: its implications in plant growth and abiotic stress tolerance. Curr Sci 88:424–438

    Google Scholar 

  • Levitt J (1980) Responses of plants to environmental stresses: water, radiation, salt and other stresses, 2nd edn. Academic Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Li HS (2000) Experimental principles and technique of plant physiology and biochemistry. Higher Education Press, Beijing (in chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Panchuk II, Volkov RA, Schoffl F (2002) Heat stress and heat shock transcription factor dependent expression and activity of ascorbate peroxidase. Plant Physiol 129:838–853

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Qin WY, Lin YX (1995) Freesia research. Shanghai Science and Technology Press, Shanghai, pp 1–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Sairam RK, Tyagi A (2004) Physiology and molecular biology of salinity stress tolerance in plants. Curr Sci 86:407–421

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sakamoto A, Murata N (2002) The role of glycine betaine in the protection of plants from stress: clues from transgenic plants. Plant Cell Environ 25:163–171

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sangwan V, Orvar BL, Beyerly J, Hirt H, Dhindsa RS (2002) Opposite changes in membrane fluidity mimic cold and heat stress activation of distinct plant MAP kinase pathways. Plant J 31:629–638

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Scandalios JG, Acevedo A, Ruzsa S (2000) Catalase gene expression in response to chronic high temperature stress in maize. Plant Sci 156:103–110

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sreenivasulu N, Sopory SK, Kavi-Kishor PB (2007) Deciphering the regulatory mechanisms of abiotic stress tolerance in plants by genomic approaches. Gene 388:1–13

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sun W, Montagu MV, Verbruggen N (2002) Small heat shock proteins and stress tolerance in plants. Biochim Biophys Acta 1577:1–9

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wahid A, Close TJ (2007) Expression of dehydrins under heat stress and their relationship with water relations of sugarcane leaves. Biol Plant 51:104–109

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wahid A, Gelani S, Ashraf M, Foolad MR (2007) Heat tolerance in plants: an overview. Environ Exp Bot 61:199–223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang L (2007) Freesia. In: Anderson NO (ed) Flower breeding and genetics. Springer, pp 665–693

  • Wang LJ, Li SH (2006) Thermotolerance and related antioxidant enzyme activities induced by heat acclimation and salicylic acid in grape (Vitis vinifera L.) leaves. Plant Growth Regul 48:137–144

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu S, Li JL, Zhang XQ, Wei H, Cui LJ (2006) Effects of heat acclimation pretreatment on changes of membrane lipid peroxidation, antioxidant metabolites, and ultrastructure of chloroplast in two cool-season turfgrass species under heat stress. Environ Exp Bot 56:274–285

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ye LA, Gao HY, Zou Q (2000) Responses of antioxidant systems and xanthophylls cycle in Phaseolus vulgaris to combined stress of high irradiance and high temperature. Photosynthetica 38:205–210

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yin H, Chen QM, Yi MF (2008) Effects of short-term heat stress on oxidative damage and responses of antioxidant system in Lilium longiflorum. Plant Growth Regul 54:45–54

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zabalza A, Gálvez L, Marino D, Royuela M, Arrese-Igor C, González EM (2008) The application of ascorbate or its immediate precursor, galactono-1, 4-lactone, does not affect the response of nitrogen-fixing pea nodules to water stress. J Plant Physiol 165:805–812

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang XZ (1992) Crop physiology research methods. China Agriculture Press, Beijing, pp 148–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhu JC, Mawjuda Y (1998) The relationship between the thermal stability and chloroplast in plant. J Xinjiang Normal Univ (Nat Sci Ed) 17(1):47–52

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No: 30872061).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, People’s Republic of China

    Yuan Yuan, Hongmei Qian, Yidong Yu & Dongqin Tang

  2. College of Landscape and Art, Jiangxi Agricultural University, NanChang, 330045, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China

    Yuan Yuan & Fangqing Lian

Authors
  1. Yuan Yuan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hongmei Qian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yidong Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Fangqing Lian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Dongqin Tang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dongqin Tang.

Additional information

Communicated by M. Hajduch.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yuan, Y., Qian, H., Yu, Y. et al. Thermotolerance and antioxidant response induced by heat acclimation in Freesia seedlings. Acta Physiol Plant 33, 1001–1009 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-010-0633-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-010-0633-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation