Cell membrane stability and biochemical response of cultured cells of groundnut under polyethylene glycol-induced water stress

Cell membrane stability (CMS) in suspension cultures of two groundnut cultivars was studied under polyethylene glycol(PEG)-induced water stress. There was a negative relationship between PEG concentration in the medium and membrane stability measured as electrolyte leakage. The CMS values in the cell cultures correlated well with the whole plant tissue and permitted the differentiation of cultivars based on their known response to drought stress. The cell membrane stability was lower (more electrolyte leakage) when cells were grown in culture as compared to the intact plant tissue. Kadiri-3, the drought tolerant cultivar maintained higher CMS than JL-24, the drought susceptible one. With increasing PEG levels the concentration of Potassium in cultured cells declined in both cultivars. However, Kadiri-3 maintained higher K values than JL-24 accompanied with greater cell membrane stability. Total soluble sugars also increased with increasing stress in both cultivars; the increase being higher in Kadiri-3. There was no significant change in the total free amino acids but proline accumulated markedly in both varieties. However, no relationship was found between proline levels and CMS. The results demonstrated that CMS test can also be used under in vitro conditions to differentiate the drought tolerant and susceptible cultivars and the cellular K level has a positive relationship with membrane stability.