Abstract
The leaves of four reed ecotypes (Phragmites communis Trinius) growing in the desert regions of northwest China were investigated for levels of polyamines and activity of arginine decarboxylase (ADC; EC 4.1.1.19) during the growing season of 5 months. The polyamines in the leaves of all reed ecotypes consisted of putrescine, spermidine and spermine. The polyamine levels of the leaves were lower in the swamp reed than in the terrestrial reed ecotypes. Leaf polyamine levels decreased in all ecotypes over the course of the season. Compared to the swamp reed, the terrestrial reed ecotypes maintained higher ADC activity and a predominance of spermine, resulting in a lower ratio of putrescine to spermidine and spermine. It seems that the adaptation of reed plants to drought and saline habitats may be correlated with putrescine synthesis via the ADC pathway, and with a successful conversion of putrescine to spermidine and spermine.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Basu R, Ghosh B (1991) Polyamines in various rice (Oryza sativa) genotypes with respect to sodium chloride salinity. Physiol Plant 82:575–581
Davies WJ, Zhang J (1991) Root signals and the regulation of growth and development of plants in drying soil. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 42:55–76
Davies WJ, Metcalfe J, Lodge TA, Costa AR da (1986) Plant growth substances and the regulation of growth under drought. Aust J Plant Physiol 13:105–125
DiTomaso JM, Shaff JE, Kochian LV (1988) Putrescine-induced wounding and its effects on membrane integrity and ion transport processes in roots of intact corn seedlings. Plant Physiol 90:988–995
Evans PT, Malmberg RL (1989) Do polyamines have roles in plant development? Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 40:235–269
Flores HE, Galston AW (1982a) Analysis of polyamines in higher plants by high performance liquid chromatography. Plant Physiol 69:701–706
Flores HE, Galston AW (1982b) Polyamines and plant stress. Activation of putrescine biosynthesis by osmotic shock. Science 217:1259–1261
Foster SA, Waters DR (1991) Polyamine concentrations and arginine decarboxylase activity in wheat exposed to osmotic stress. Physiol Plant 82:185–190
Galston AW, Sawhney RK (1990) Polyamines in plant physiology. Plant Physiol 94:406–410
Haslam SM (1970) Variation of population type in Phragmites communis Trin. Ann Bot 34:147–158
Haslam SM (1975) The performance of Phragmites communis Trin. in relation to temperature. Ann Bot 39:881–888
Kramer GR, Wang CY (1989) Correlation of reduced chilling injury with increased spermine and spermidine levels in zucchini squash. Physiol Plant 76:479–484
Lowry OH, Rosebrough NJ, Farr AL, Randall RJ (1951) Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem 193:265–275
Matoh T, Matsushita N, Takahashi E (1988) Salt tolerance of the reed plants Phragmites communis. Physiol Plant 72:8–14
Matsuda H (1984) Some properties of the arginine decarboxylase in Vicia faba leaves. Plant Cell Physiol 25:523–530
Munns R, Termaat A (1986) Whole-plant responses to salinity. Aust J Plant Physiol 13:143–160
Ren DT, Zhang CL (1992) Analyses of soluble protein, total and free amino acids in leaves of different ecotypes of Phragmites communis growing in the Hexi Corridor. Acta Bot Sin 34:698–704
Slocum RD, Kaur-Sawhney R, Galston AW (1964) The physiology and biochemistry of polyamines in plants. Arch Biochem Biophys 235:283–303
Smith TA (1985) Polyamines. Annu Rev Plant Physiol 36:117–143
Wang HL, Zhang CL (1993) Comparative investigation on plasmalemma properties of different reed ecotypes in Hexi Corridor. Acta Bot Sin 35:533–540
Wang SY, Steffens GL (1985) Effect of paclobutrazol on water stress-induced ethylene biosynthesis and polyamine accumulation in apple seedling leaves. Phytochemistry 24:2185–2190
Young ND, Galston AW (1983) Putrescine and acid stress. Plant Physiol 71:767–777
Zhang J, Davies WJ (1989) Abscisic acid produced in dehydrating roots may enable the plant to measure the water status of the soil. Plant Cell Environ 12:73–81
Zhao KF, Munns R, King RW (1991) Abscisic acid levels in NaCl-treated barley, cotton and saltbush. Aust J Plant Physiol 18:17–24
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hongliang, W., Chenglie, Z. & Houguo, L. Seasonal changes of polyamines in habitat adaptation of different ecotypes of reed plants. Oecologia 101, 119–123 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00328908
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00328908