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Response of photosystem II performance and antioxidant enzyme activities in stay-green wheat to cytokinin

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Photosynthetica

Abstract

WN6 (a stay-green wheat cultivar) and JM20 (control) were used to evaluate the effects of exogenous cytokinin on photosynthetic capacity and antioxidant enzymes activities in flag leaves. Results showed that WN6 reached the higher grain mass, which was mainly due to the higher photosynthetic rate resulting from the higher maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (ΦPSII) and probability that a trapped exaction transfers an electron into the electron transport chain beyond QA (Ψo), and lower relative variable fluorescence intensity at the J-step (Vj). Exogenous 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA) enhanced antioxidant enzymes activities and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Enhanced Ψo and electron transport rate (ETR), and decreased Vj contributed to improved photosynthetic rate in the 6-BA treatment. In addition, exogenous 6-BA significantly increased endogenous zeatin (Zt) content, which was significantly and positively correlated with the antioxidant enzyme activity and ΦPSII, implying that higher Zt content was responsible for the improved antioxidant status and photosynthetic performance.

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Abbreviations

APX:

ascorbate peroxidase

CAT:

catalase

Chl:

chlorophyll

CK:

cytokinin

DAA:

days after anthesis

ETR:

electron transport rate

Fi :

the fluorescence at 30 ms

Fj :

the fluorescence at 2 ms

Fk :

the fluorescence at 300 μs

F0 :

the fluorescence fluorescence at 20 μs

Fm :

maximal fluorescence yield of the dark-adapted state

Fm' :

maximal fluorescence yield of the light-adapted state

Fs :

steady-state fluorescence yield

Ft :

fluorescence intensity at t time

Fv :

variable fluorescence

Fv/Fm :

maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry

FM:

fresh mass

g s :

stomatal conductance

MDA:

malondialdehyde

NSG:

non-stay-green

PIabs:

performance index based on absorption of light energy

P N :

net photosynthetic rate

POD:

peroxidase

ROS:

reactive oxygen species

SG:

stay-green cultivar

SOD:

superoxide dismutase

Vj :

relative variable fluorescence intensity at the J-step

Wk :

relative variable fluorescence for the normalization between Fo and Fk

Zt:

zeatin

ΦPSII :

effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry

Ψo :

probability that a trapped exaction transfers an electron into the electron transport chain beyond QA.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally to this study.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, Shandong, 271018, China

    D. Q. Yang, Y. L. Luo, W. H. Dong, Y. P. Yin, Y. Li & Z. L. Wang

Authors
  1. D. Q. Yang
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  2. Y. L. Luo
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  3. W. H. Dong
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  4. Y. P. Yin
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  5. Y. Li
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  6. Z. L. Wang
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Y. Li or Z. L. Wang.

Additional information

Acknowledgments: The research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NO. 31271661, 31271667, 30871477), the Shandong Modern Agriculture Technology and Industry System, a project of Shandong Province Higher Educational Science and Technology Program (J14LF12), the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, NO. 2015CB150404), the Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest of China (No. 201203100, 201203029), and the National Science and Technology Support Program of China (No. 2012BAD04B05).

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Yang, D.Q., Luo, Y.L., Dong, W.H. et al. Response of photosystem II performance and antioxidant enzyme activities in stay-green wheat to cytokinin. Photosynthetica 56, 567–577 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-017-0708-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-017-0708-1

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