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Exogenous progesterone alleviates heat and high light stress-induced inactivation of photosystem II in wheat by enhancing antioxidant defense and D1 protein stability

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Abstract

This experiment was conducted to test the effects of foliar application of progesterone on the photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) and photosynthetic rate in wheat flag leaves subjected to cross-stress of heat and high light during grain-filling stage. The results showed that progesterone pretreatment increased the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase, and the contents of ascorbic acid and glutathione under the cross-stress. Meanwhile, the rate of O2 − production, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde contents in progesterone pretreated leaves were significantly lower under heat and high light stress. In parallel with the alleviation of oxidative stress, higher content of D1 protein in PSII reactive center was observed in progesterone pretreated leaves, resulting in a significant increase in the potential (Fv/Fm) and actual (ΦPS II) photochemical efficiency of PSII, and the net photosynthetic rate. In summary, this study suggested that foliar application of progesterone might protect the PSII complex from heat and high light stress-induced damage through enhancing antioxidant defense system and further facilitating D1 protein stability in the wheat leaves.

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Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Abbreviations

ANOVA:

One-way analysis of variance

APX:

Ascorbate peroxidase

AsA:

Ascorbic acid

CAT:

Catalase

EDTA:

Ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid

Fv/Fm:

Potential photochemical efficiency of PSII

GR:

Glutathione reductase

GSH:

Reduced glutathione

HH:

Heat and high light

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

NBT:

Nitro blue tetrazolium

PAGE:

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

Pn:

Net photosynthetic rate

PSII:

Photosystem II

ΦPSII:

Actual photochemical efficiency of PSII

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SDS:

Sodium dodecyl sulfate

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

TBA:

Thiobarbituric acid

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (30971725).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China

    Xiaoyu Su, Li Yang, Ruili Xue, Hua Li, Yuexia Wang & Huijie Zhao

  2. Henan Vocational College of Agriculture, Zhongmou, 451450, China

    Si Wu

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  1. Xiaoyu Su
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  2. Si Wu
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  3. Li Yang
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  4. Ruili Xue
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  5. Hua Li
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  7. Huijie Zhao
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Correspondence to Huijie Zhao.

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Su, X., Wu, S., Yang, L. et al. Exogenous progesterone alleviates heat and high light stress-induced inactivation of photosystem II in wheat by enhancing antioxidant defense and D1 protein stability. Plant Growth Regul 74, 311–318 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-014-9920-1

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