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Effect of nitric oxide treatment on antioxidant responses and psbA gene expression in two wheat cultivars during grain filling stage under drought stress and rewatering

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Abstract

The effect of sodium nitroprusside (SNP; nitric oxide donor) treatment on wheat plant (Triticum aestivum L.) under drought stress during grain filling stage was investigated. When two cultivars wheat plants, Yumai No. 949 and Shanmai No. 5, were drought stressed by PEG for 72 h and rewatered for 48 h, the affections of osmotic dehydration and rehydration on the antioxidant enzymes activities and psbA gene transcriptional abundance were compared. Relative water contents (RWC) decreased markedly after 72 h of PEG stress, along with an obvious decrease in chlorophyll content, increase in SOD, CAT and APX activities, and MDA content as well. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain amplification indicated that drought stress also remarkably inhibited the transcription of psbA gene in photosystem II (PSII). All of these responses could be restored by removing of stress and applying another 48 h of rewatering. The exogenous 0.2 mmol l−1 SNP treatment could significantly alleviate the stress injury and accelerate the progress of recovery. Compared to Yumai No. 949, Shanmai No. 5 had less destroyed plasma membranes, higher RWC and chlorophyll contents, more psbA gene transcriptional abundance during water stress, and rapider recovery to control after rewatering, suggesting not only a better drought resistance but also a better recovery capability after a severe drought stress. The present results also suggested that the application of exogenous SNP could enhance the stress resistance of wheat plant during grain filling stage by increasing antioxidant enzymes activities, as well as protecting important gene transcription in PSII, which were to the benefit of functional recovery from drought stress.

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Abbreviations

APX:

Ascorbate peroxidase

CAT:

Catalases

DPS:

Data processing system

H2O2 :

Hydrogen peroxide

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

NO:

Nitric oxide

PEG:

Polyethylene glycol

PPFD:

Photosynthetic photon flux density

PSII:

Photosystem II

PVP:

Polyvinylpyrrolidone

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

RWC:

Relative water content

SNP:

Sodium nitroprusside

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

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Acknowledgments

This study is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31000688 and No. 30971725).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, 63 Nongye Rd, Zhengzhou, 450002, Henan Province, China

    Yuexia Wang, Tengfei Zhao, Xiaofei Qu, Ligang Yuan, Xuejuan Zhao & Huijie Zhao

  2. College of Food Science & Technology, Henan Agricultural University, 63 Nongye Rd, Zhengzhou, 450002, Henan Province, China

    Biao Suo

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  1. Yuexia Wang
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  2. Biao Suo
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  3. Tengfei Zhao
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  7. Huijie Zhao
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Correspondence to Huijie Zhao.

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Communicated by S. Weidner.

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Wang, Y., Suo, B., Zhao, T. et al. Effect of nitric oxide treatment on antioxidant responses and psbA gene expression in two wheat cultivars during grain filling stage under drought stress and rewatering. Acta Physiol Plant 33, 1923–1932 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-011-0740-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-011-0740-x

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