Antioxidative Defense, Suppressed Nitric Oxide Accumulation, and Synthesis of Protective Proteins in Roots and Leaves Contribute to the Desiccation Tolerance of the Resurrection Plant Haberlea rhodopensis

Georgieva, Katya

Mihailova, Gergana

Gigova, Liliana

Popova, V Antoaneta

Velitchkova, Maya

Simova-Stolyova, Lyudmila

Sági-Kazár, Máté

Zelenyánszki, Helga

Solymosi, Katalin

Solti, Ádám

MDPI

2023-07-31

QK Botany / növénytan

QK10 Plant physiology / növényélettan

QK40 Plant histology / nővényszövettan

SB Plant culture / növénytermesztés

The desiccation tolerance of plants relies on defense mechanisms that enable the protection of macromolecules, biological structures, and metabolism. Although the defense of leaf tissues exposed to solar irradiation is challenging, mechanisms that protect the viability of the roots, yet largely unexplored, are equally important for survival. Although the photosynthetic apparatus in leaves contributes to the generation of oxidative stress under drought stress, we hypothesized that oxidative stress and thus antioxidative defense is also predominant in the roots. Thus, we aimed for a comparative analysis of the protective mechanisms in leaves and roots during the desiccation of Haberlea rhodopensis. Consequently, a high content of non-enzymatic antioxidants and high activity of antioxidant enzymes together with the activation of specific isoenzymes were found in both leaves and roots during the final stages of desiccation of H. rhodopensis. Among others, catalase and glutathione reductase activity showed a similar tendency of changes in roots and leaves, whereas, unlike that in the leaves, superoxide dismutase activity was enhanced under severe but not under medium desiccation in roots. Nitric oxide accumulation in the root tips was found to be sensitive to water restriction but suppressed under severe desiccation. In addition to the antioxidative defense, desiccation induced an enhanced abundance of dehydrins, ELIPs, and sHSP 17.7 in leaves, but this was significantly better in roots. In contrast to leaf cells, starch remained in the cells of the central cylinder of desiccated roots. Taken together, protective compounds and antioxidative defense mechanisms are equally important in protecting the roots to survive desiccation. Since drought-induced damage to the root system fundamentally affects the survival of plants, a better understanding of root desiccation tolerance mechanisms is essential to compensate for the challenges of prolonged dry periods.

angol

Article

PeerReviewed

info:eu-repo/semantics/article

text

http://real.mtak.hu/175481/1/Georgieva2023%20plants-12-02834-v2.pdf

Georgieva, Katya and Mihailova, Gergana and Gigova, Liliana and Popova, V Antoaneta and Velitchkova, Maya and Simova-Stolyova, Lyudmila and Sági-Kazár, Máté and Zelenyánszki, Helga and Solymosi, Katalin and Solti, Ádám (2023) Antioxidative Defense, Suppressed Nitric Oxide Accumulation, and Synthesis of Protective Proteins in Roots and Leaves Contribute to the Desiccation Tolerance of the Resurrection Plant Haberlea rhodopensis. PLANTS-BASEL, 12 (15). No-2834. ISSN 2223-7747

http://real.mtak.hu/175481/

https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12152834

doi: 10.3390/plants12152834

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