Drought effects on membrane lipids and photosynthetic activity in different peanut cultivars

The effects of drought on thylakoid acyl lipid composition, photosynthetic capacity (P-max), and electrolyte leakage were evaluated in two-months-old peanut cultivars (57-422, 73-30, GC 8-35) growing in a glasshouse. For lipid studies, plants were submitted to three treatments try withholding irrigation: control (C), mild water stress (S1), and severe water stress (S2). Concerning membrane and photosynthetic capacity stability, drought was imposed by polyethylene glycol (PEG 600). In the cv. 73-30 a sharp decrease in the content of thylakoid acyl lipids was observed, already under S1 conditions, whereas cv. 57-422 was strongly affected only under S2. Cv. GC 8-35 had the lowest content of acyl lipids under control conditions, a significant increase under S1 conditions, and only under S2 a decrease occurred. Thus concerning lipid stability, cv. 73-30 was the most sensitive. Among lipid classes, phospholipids and galactolipids were similarly affected, as was MGDG relatively to DGDG. Water deficit imposed by PEG induced a higher increase in electrolyte leakage in cv. 73-30 than in the other cvs. A positive relationship between acyl lipid concentration and membrane integrity was found in all studied cvs. A positive association between acyl lipid concentration, membrane integrity, and P-max was found in the cvs. 57-422 and 73-30.