4.7 Article

Physiological, Ultrastructural and Proteomic Responses in the Leaf of Maize Seedlings to Polyethylene Glycol-Stimulated Severe Water Deficiency

Journal

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
Volume 16, Issue 9, Pages 21606-21625

Publisher

MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/ijms160921606

Keywords

differentially expressed proteins; proteome; ultrastructure; water deficiency; Zea mays L

Funding

  1. fund of the State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science [SKL2014ZH-11]
  2. Open Foundation of CAAS/Key Laboratory of Crop Water Use and Regulation, Ministry of Agriculture [CWRR201404]
  3. Open Item of the State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas [CSBAA2015010]

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After maize seedlings grown in full-strength Hoagland solution for 20 days were exposed to 20% polyethylene glycol (PEG)-stimulated water deficiency for two days, plant height, shoot fresh and dry weights, and pigment contents significantly decreased, whereas malondialdehyde (MDA) content greatly increased. Using transmission electron microscopy, we observed that chloroplasts of mesophyll cells in PEG-treated maize seedlings were swollen, with a disintegrating envelope and disrupted grana thylakoid lamellae. Using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) method, we were able to identify 22 protein spots with significantly altered abundance in the leaves of treated seedlings in response to water deficiency, 16 of which were successfully identified. These protein species were functionally classified into signal transduction, stress defense, carbohydrate metabolism, protein metabolism, and unknown categories. The change in the abundance of the identified protein species may be closely related to the phenotypic and physiological changes due to PEG-stimulated water deficiency. Most of the identified protein species were putatively located in chloroplasts, indicating that chloroplasts may be prone to damage by PEG stimulated-water deficiency in maize seedlings. Our results help clarify the molecular mechanisms of the responses of higher plants to severe water deficiency.

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