Seasonal Changes in Water Potential and Turgor Maintenance in Sorghum and Maize under Water Stress

Leaf water (Ψ) and solute (ψ) potential were measured in field sorghum and maize under well irrigated (I) and dryland (NI) conditions throughout a season. Despite decreases in ψ due to slow soil water depletion and to apparent increases in liquid phase plant resistance, midday leaf turgor (ψ_p) in the NI sorghum was maintained at similar levels as in the I treatment throughout the season due to concomitant decreases in ψ_s. Osmotic adjustment was also observed in maize, although ψ_p was significantly lower in the NI treatment as compared to I during the final stages of grain filling. A seasonal shift in the ψ vs. relative water content relation of NI sorghum leaves was observed, more water being retained by the older leaf at any particular ψ. The major factor for turgor maintenance was a net increase in solutes per unit of tissue. The role played by increases in the proportion of tissue volume occupied by cell wall was also evaluated. No stomatal closure due to water stress was found in NI sorghum even though leaf ψ reached —20 bars late in the season. Under similar conditions, stomata closed at —14 to —16 bars in younger plants where water stress was made to develop much faster.     

干旱胁迫下大豆与玉米叶片光破坏的防御

随干旱强度的增加,大豆叶片光呼吸速率（Pr）降低的幅度小于Pn,使Pr／Pn比率升高。在轻度及中度干旱下,PSII光化学效率（Fv／Fm）能在暗置后较快地恢复。随干旱强度的增加,叶片光化学猝灭系数下降,非光化学猝死系数升高。干旱使叶片β－胡萝卜素及紫黄质含量下降,而玉米黄质含量（Z）与叶黄素库增加。与大豆相比,玉米在干旱条件下具有较高的Z含量和较大的叶黄素库。     

Behavior of Corn and Sorghum under Water Stress and during Recovery

Corn (Zea mays L.) and sorghum (Sorghum vulgare, Pers.) plants were grown in a vermiculite-gravel mixture in controlled environment chambers until they were 40 days old. Water was withheld until they were severely wilted, and they were then rewatered. During drying and after rewatering stomatal resistance was measured with a diffusion porometer each morning, and water saturation deficit and water potential were measured on leaf samples. The average resistance of the lower epidermis of well watered plants was lower for corn than for sorghum. When water stress developed, the stomata began to close at a higher water potential in corn than in sorghum. The stomata of both species began to reopen normally soon after the wilted plants were rewatered, and on the 2nd day the leaf resistances were nearly as low as those of the controls. The average leaf water potential of well watered corn was −4.5 bars; that of sorghum, −6.4 bars. The lowest leaf water potential in stressed corn was −12.8 bars at a water saturation deficit of 45%. The lowest leaf water potential in stressed sorghum was −15.7 bars, but the water saturation deficit was only 29%. At these values the leaves of both species were tightly rolled or folded and some injury was apparent. Thus, although the average leaf resistance of corn is little lower than that of sorghum, corn loses much more of its water before the stomata are fully closed than does sorghum. The smaller reduction in water content of sorghum for a given reduction in leaf water potential is characteristic of drought-resistant species.     

水分胁迫期间及胁迫解除后桃树叶片中的碳水化合物代谢

水分胁迫期间、盆栽桃幼树叶片中淀粉和蔗糖含量降低,山梨醇、葡萄糖和果糖则升高;淀粉酶、6－磷酸醛糖还原酶（A6PR）、酸性转化酶（AI）和蔗糖合酶（SS）涤性升高,ADPG焦磷酸化酶（ADPGPPase）、中性转化酶（NI）、山梨醇脱氢酶（SDH）和磷酸蔗糖合酶（SPS）的活性降低。胁迫解除后,淀粉和葡萄糖含量恢复,山梨醇和果糖仍高于对照;A6PR、SDH和ADPGPase活性维持在原水平上;淀粉酶活性恢复;SPS活性增加而AI活性降低。     

水分胁迫下高粱叶片的渗透调节与延伸生长的关系

高粱抗旱品种3197B比不抗旱品种三尺三在水分胁迫条件下ψ_S下降低。在相同ψ_S时,3197B相对含水量高于三尺三。水分胁迫期间,3197B能始终维持比三尺三较高的ψ_P。在中度和严重水分胁迫时,3197B几种渗透物质积累均高于三尺三,其中可溶性糖和K~ 对渗透调节贡献最大。水分胁迫下,3197B正展开叶渗透调节能力较强,ψ_P维持较高,临界膨压低,叶片扩张性能小、故生长速率随ψ_W下降较慢。     

Drought Responses of Foliar Metabolites in Three Maize Hybrids Differing in Water Stress Tolerance

Maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids varying in drought tolerance were treated with water stress in controlled environments. Experiments were performed during vegetative growth and water was withheld for 19 days beginning 17 days after sowing. Genotypic comparisons used measured changes of leaf water potential or results were expressed by time of treatment. Total dry matter of the drought tolerant hybrid on the final harvest was 53% less than that of the intermediate and susceptible maize hybrids when plants were water sufficient. This showed that maize hybrids selected for extreme drought tolerance possessed a dwarf phenotype that affected soil water contents and leaf water potentials. Changes of shoot and root growth, leaf water potential, net photosynthesis and stomatal conductance in response to the time of water stress treatment were diminished when comparing the drought tolerant to the intermediate or susceptible maize hybrids. Genotypic differences were observed in 26 of 40 total foliar metabolites during water stress treatments. Hierarchical clustering revealed that the tolerant maize hybrid initiated the accumulation of stress related metabolites at higher leaf water potentials than either the susceptible or intermediate hybrids. Opposite results occurred when changes of metabolites in maize leaves were expressed temporally. The above results demonstrated that genotypic differences were readily observed by comparing maize hybrids differing in drought tolerance based on either time of treatment or measured leaf water potential. Current findings provided new and potentially important insights into the mechanisms of drought tolerance in maize.     

未分胁迫下不同抗旱性小麦芽鞘膨压和IAA及ABA含量变化（简报）

水分胁迫条件下,小麦细胞膨压下降与芽鞘生长抑制呈正相关。不同品种单位膨压升高引起的伸长生长有差异。水分胁迫0、3、8、20、32、45h后,抗旱性强的品种芽鞘中IAA含量及IAA／ABA比值在接近生长最快的时刻出现高峰;抗旱性差的品种IAA含量及IAA／ABA比值的高峰出现的时间与生长最快的时间不一致。单位膨压升高引起芽鞘长度增加大的品种,腔迫处理后IAA含理及IAA／ABA相对较高或下降程度相对较小;而BA含理升高则相反,抗旱性弱的品种胁迫处理后ABA含量增加相对较多。     

干旱胁迫对霸王水分生理特征及细胞膜透性的影响

以2年生霸王为试验材料,用盆栽人工控制土壤水分,研究不同梯度土壤水分条件对霸王水分生理特征、丙二醛含量和细胞膜相对透性的影响.结果表明,与充足供水对照(土壤重量含水量为23%)相比,在严重干旱胁迫(土壤含水量为3%)20 d和45 d时,霸王叶水势和叶片相对含水量分别显著降低70.87%和45.54%、26.81%和12.66%;相应的叶片MDA含量和细胞膜相对透性分别显著增加33.81%和21.78%、17.51%和14.98%;严重干旱胁迫30 d使得霸王叶片保水力显著下降;同时随着土壤干旱胁迫程度的增强,霸王日蒸腾耗水量持续下降,且严重干旱胁迫处理的蒸腾耗水量日变化为水平直线型,其余处理均为单峰型.研究发现,严重干旱胁迫下随着胁迫时间的延长,霸王叶水势和叶片相对含水量有增加趋势,而叶片MDA含量和细胞膜相对透性则有减小趋势,它能够通过自身的调节机制,逐渐改善叶片水分状况,降低细胞膜伤害程度,从而适应严重干旱环境.     

Growth and Gas Exchange of Three Sorghum Cultivars Under Drought Stress

A field study was conducted to evaluate the drought tolerance of three sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] cultivars, Gadambalia, Arous elRimal and Tabat, and quantify the physiological bases for differences in their drought tolerance. Water stress reduced shoot dry mass of Gadambalia, Arous elRimal and Tabat by 43, 46 and 58 %, respectively. The respective reduction in leaf area of the three cultivars was 28, 54 and 63 %. The reduction in net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate due to water stress was lowest in Gadambalia and highest in Tabat. The leaf water potentials and relative water contents of Gadambalia under wet and dry treatments were similar, while those of Tabat were significantly reduced by water stress. The lowest and highest liquid water flow conductance was displayed by Tabat and Gadambalia, respectively. Drought tolerance in Gadambalia is associated with its smaller leaf area, higher liquid water flow conductance, and ability to maintain high leaf water potential, relative water content, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate and photosynthetic rate under drought stress. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of Drought Stress on the Photosynthesis in Maize

To clarify how the components of the entire photosynthetic electron transport chain in response to drought stress in maize. The activities of photosystem II (PSII), photosystem I (PSI), and the electron transport chain between PSII and PSI of maize were investigated by prompt fluorescence (PF), delayed fluorescence (DF) and 820 nm modulated reflection (MR). Maize (Zea mays L.) plants were subjected to different levels of soil water availability including control, moderate and severe drought stress. A significant decrease in ?E₀, Ψ₀ and PI_ABS was found in maize treated with moderate drought stress. A significant increase in ABS/RC was observed, but there were no significant change in the fast MR phase and the amplitude of DF under moderate drought stress compared to the control. Under severe drought stress, the exchange capacity between Q_A to Q_B, reoxidation capacity of plastoquinol, and the oxidation and re-reduction rates of PC and P₇₀₀ all decreased. These results demonstrated that moderate drought stress reduced the photochemical activity of PSII from Q_A to PQH₂, while the photochemical activity of PSI was unscathed. However, severe drought stress inhibited the entire electron transport chain from the donor side of PSII to PSI-end electron acceptors. In addition, the photochemical activity of PSII is more sensitive to drought stress than PSI.     

水分胁迫及复水过程中小麦幼苗叶片内Ca2+的定位

展现了冬小麦幼苗在干旱胁迫及干旱后复水过程中叶肉细胞内Ca2 的动态分布 :在正常水分条件下生长的小麦幼苗 ,其细胞中的Ca2 主要位于液泡内 ,同时 ,细胞间隙中有大量的Ca2 分布。在水分胁迫下 ,随着胁迫时间的加长 ,液泡和细胞间隙的Ca2 逐渐进入细胞质 ,导致细胞质中自由Ca2 浓度过高 ,并对细胞造成伤害。复水后 ,细胞质中高浓度Ca2 迅速排入液泡和细胞间隙 ,细胞质中Ca2 浓度又基本恢复正常水平 ,形象地展示了细胞内Ca2 的稳态调控机制     

Photosynthesis and the Enzymes of Photosynthetic Carbon Reduction Cycle in Mulberry During Water Stress and Recovery

Net photosynthetic rate (P _N), stomatal conductance (g _S), transpiration rate (E), intercellular CO₂ concentration (C _i), leaf water potential (_w), leaf area, chlorophyll (Chl) content, and the activities of photosynthetic carbon reduction cycle (PCR) enzymes in two mulberry (Morus alba L.) cultivars (drought tolerant Anantha and drought sensitive M-5) were studied during water stress and recovery. During water stress, P _N, g _S, and E declined whereas C _i increased. P _N, g _S, and E were less affected in Anantha than in M-5, which indicates tolerance nature of Anantha over M-5. Activities of ribulose-5-phosphate kinase, NAD- and NADP-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenases, and 3-phosphoglycerate kinase decreased with increasing stress in both the cultivars. The enzyme activities less affected in tolerant (Anantha) than in sensitive cultivar (M-5) were restored after re-watering to almost initial values in both the cultivars. Re-watering of the plants led to an almost complete recovery of P _N, E, and g _S, indicating that a short-term stress brings about reversible effect in these two cultivars of mulberry.     

Exogenous Melatonin Achieves Drought Tolerance by Improving Photosynthesis in Maize Seedlings Leaves

Russian Journal of Plant Physiology - The beneficial roles of melatonin in plants have been widely reported, but its effect on photosynthesis under drought stress is not clear. In the study,...     

Genotypic Differences in Leaf Water Potential, Abscisic Acid and Proline Concentrations in Spring Wheat during Drought Stress

Recent work with spring wheat has revealed significant genotypicvariation in changes of water potential and abscisic acid (ABA)concentration in response to drought Two experiments with eightspring wheat genotypes have been carried out to check the earlierwork on relationships between water potential and ABA concentrationand to examine causes of genotypic variation in the rate ofdecline of water potential during drought Changes in prolineconcentration were also studied Plants were grown in controlled environment cabinets with nutrientsolution culture and were stressed by withholding water as thefifth or sixth leaf on the main stem emerged. Plants were harvested4, 5 and 6 days after the treatment commenced and measurementsof leaf water potential, stomatal conductance, ABA and prolineconcentrations, and tissue d wts were taken. Significant genotypic variation was found in the decrease ofwater potential with time and in the slopes of linear regressionsof ABA concentration on water potential, confirming earlierresults When differences between leaf areas at the start of the treatmentwere minimised by varying the genotype sowing date significantgenotypic variation in water potentials at harvest was stillobtained. The change in water potential was significantly positivelycorrelated with shoot root d wt ratios at harvest and pre-treatmentstomatal conductances. Proline concentrations were significantly correlated with waterpotential for every genotype, although there was no clear evidenceof genotypic variation in proline concentrations at a givenwater potential The possible role of ABA concentration in drought resistanceof cereals is discussed Triticum aestivum L, spring wheat, water potential, abscisic acid, proline, drought stress     

Effect of Water Stress on Expression of a 20 kD Cyclophilin-like Protein in Drought Susceptible and Tolerant Cultivars of Sorghum

Immunodetection studies revealed the presence of a 20 kD cyclophilin-like protein (designated as SorgCyp20) in leaves and seeds of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L Moench). The expression of SorgCyp20 was temporally regulated in the leaves and after attaining maximum levels at either 60 or 70 days after sowing it declined after flowering. The effect of drought stress on SorgCyp20 levels in the leaves and seeds of sorghum was stage and cultivar dependent. The drought stress-induced enhancement in SorgCyp20 levels was many times higher in the leaves (3-fold increase at 30 days after sowing) and seeds (2.5-fold increase at 9 days post anthesis) of drought tolerant cv ICSV-272 than in the drought susceptible cv SPRU-94008B. The intercultivar differences in drought stress-induced changes in SorgCyp20 expression were not related to the difference in water potential thus suggesting differential regulation of SorgCyp20 in response to stress in the two sorghum cultivars.     

Bound Water in Durum Wheat under Drought Stress

To study drought stress effects on bound water, adsorption isotherms and pressure-volume curves were constructed for two durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) cultivars: Capeiti 8 (drought tolerant) and Creso (drought sensitive). Plants were grown under well-watered and water-stressed conditions in a controlled environment. Differential enthalpy (ΔH) was calculated through van't Hoff analysis of adsorption isotherms at 5 and 20°C, which allowed us to determine the strength of water binding. ΔH reached the most negative values at approximately 0.06 gram H₂O/gram dry weight and then increased rapidly for well-watered plants (until 0.10 gram H₂O/gram dry weight) or more slowly for drought-stressed plants (until 0.15-0.20 gram H₂O/gram dry weight). Bound water values from pressure-volume curves were greater for water-stressed (0.17 gram H₂O/gram dry weight) than for well-watered plants (0.09 gram H₂O/gram dry weight). They may be estimates of leaf moisture content where ΔH reaches the less negative values and hence some free water appears. With respect to the well-watered plants, tightly bound water tended to be less bound during drought, and more free water was observed in cv Creso compared to cv Capeiti 8 at moisture contents >0.10 gram H₂O/gram dry weight.