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Short-term water stress leads to a stimulation of sucrose synthesis by activating sucrose-phosphate synthase

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Abstract

The aim of this work was to identify which aspects of photosynthetic metabolism respond most sensitively to leaf water deficit. Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) leaf discs were floated on sorbitol concentrations of increasing molarity and changes of the protoplast volume were estimated using [14C]sorbitol and 3H2O penetration. Detached leaves were also wilted until 10% of their fresh weight was lost. Photosynthesis was studied at very high external CO2 concentrations, to eliminate the effect of closing stomata. There was no large inhibition of CO2 fixation after wilting leaves, or until the external water deficit was greater than-1.2 MPa. However, partitioning changed markedly at these moderate water deficits: more sucrose and less starch was made. When an inhibition of CO2-saturated photosynthesis did appear at a water deficit of-2.0 MPa and above, measurements of chlorophyll-fluorescence quenching and metabolite levels showed the thylakoid reactions were not especially susceptible to short-term water stress. The inhibition was accompanied by a small increase of the triose phosphate: ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate ratio, showing regeneration of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate was affected. However, there was also a general increase of the estimated concentrations of most metabolites, indicating that there is no specific site for the inhibition of photosynthesis. Increasing water deficit led to a large increase of fructose-2,6-bisphosphate. This is explained in terms of a simultaneous increase of fructose-6-phosphate and inorganic phosphate as the cell shrinks. The high fructose-2,6-bisphosphate led to the accumulation of triose phosphates, and the potential significance of this for protection against photoinhibition is discussed. There was an increase in the extractable activity of sucrose-phosphate synthase. This was only detected when the enzyme was assayed in conditions which distinguish between different kinetic forms which have previously been identified in spinach leaves. It is proposed that activation of sucrose-phosphate synthase is one of the first sites at which spinach leaves respond to a rising water deficit. This could be of importance for osmoregulation.

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Abbreviations

Chl:

chlorophyll

Fru1,6bisP:

fructose-1,6-bisphosphate

Fru2,6bisP:

fructose-2,6-bisphosphate

Fru6P:

fructose-6-phosphate

Glc6P:

glucose-6-phosphate

PGA:

glycerate-3-phosphate

Pi:

inorgamic phosphate

Ru1,5bisP:

ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate

SPS:

sucrose-phosphate synthase

triose-P:

sum of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and dehydroxyacetone phosphate

UDPGlc:

uridine diphosphoglucose

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lehrstuhl für Pflanzenphysiologie, Universität Bayreuth, D-8580, Bayreuth, Federal Republic of Germany

    Paul Quick, Gabi Siegl, Ekkehard Neuhaus, Regina Feil & Mark Stitt

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  1. Paul Quick
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  2. Gabi Siegl
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  3. Ekkehard Neuhaus
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  4. Regina Feil
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  5. Mark Stitt
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Quick, P., Siegl, G., Neuhaus, E. et al. Short-term water stress leads to a stimulation of sucrose synthesis by activating sucrose-phosphate synthase. Planta 177, 535–546 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00392622

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00392622

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