Enhanced susceptibility of photosynthesis to low-temperature photoinhibition due to interruption of chill-induced increase of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase activity in leaves of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.)

Low-temperature acclimation related with developmental regulations of polyamines and ethylene metabolism in wheat recombinant inbred lines

Winter survival is determined by complicated developmental regulations enabling wheat to adjust their transcriptome and metabolome to develop low temperature (LT) tolerance. The aim of the study was to clarify the metabolic responses developmentally regulated in six F6 recombinant inbred lines from a cross between Pishtaz (spring parent) and Mironovskaya 808 (winter parent). Spring genotypes, including pishtaz, RILs 4006 and 4014 showed lower LT tolerance, PAs (except the spermin), GABA and proline contents and DPPH• scavenging capacity. In these genotypes, genes and enzymes involved in the pathways of PAs and GABA degradation and ethylene biosynthesis were more active than other genotypes. RILs 4012 and 4016 with short vernalization displayed higher tolerance and lower H2O2 content compared to Pishtaz. Strong vernalization requirements in winter and facultative genotypes (Mironovskaya 808 parent and RILs 4003 and 4005) results in up-regulation of the metabolites and genes involved in PAs and GABA biosynthesis pathways (particularly when vernalization fulfillment occurred) to establish high tolerance as compared to genotypes without vernalization requirement. LT tolerance in all genotypes significantly decreased after vernalization fulfillment in February. Results indicated that LT tolerance was partly validated from developmental regulation of PAs, GABA, and ethylene metabolism during venalization and LT acclimation.

Exogenous spermidine improved drought tolerance in Ilex verticillata seedlings

Winterberry (Ilex verticillata (L.) A. Gray) is a recently introduced ornamental tree species in China that has not been closely investigated for its drought resistance. In this study, we used two-year-old cuttings from I. verticillata (L.) A. Gray and two representative varieties derived from it, I. verticillata 'Oosterwijk' and I. verticillata 'Jim Dandy', as materials to investigate how this plant responds to drought stress and whether exogenous spermidine (SPD) can alleviate the negative effects caused by drought stress. The results showed that as the degree of drought stress increased, the leaves of winterberry seedlings became chlorotic, and their edges became dry. Similarly, the relative water content, specific leaf weight, chlorophyll content, leaf nitrogen content, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate were significantly reduced, whereas the content of malondialdehyde continuously increased with the degree of drought stress. The activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase increased under moderate drought stress and then decreased under severe drought stress. The levels of soluble sugar and abscisic acid continued to increase, while those of auxin and gibberellic acid decreased. When compared with individual drought stress, an increase in the amount of external SPD clearly alleviated the effect of drought stress on winterberry seedlings. The combined phenotypes and physiological indices of the winterberry leaves under drought stress conditions revealed that the drought resistance of the native species was significantly higher than its two varieties. This finding serves as an important theoretical foundation for the popularization and application of I. verticillata (L.) A. Gray and the two varieties.

Effects of water-deficit stress and putrescine on performances, photosynthetic gas exchange, and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of Salvia officinalis in two cutting times

A 2‐year (2017–2018) field experiment was performed to specify if the foliar application of putrescine (PUT) under optimum and water‐deficit stress (WDS) conditions would favorably affect leaf gas exchange, greenness, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, pigments, sodium (Na), potassium (K), as well as yield and content of the essential oil (EO) relationships in Salvia officinalis L. (sage) in spring (cutting 1) and summer (cutting 2). Based on the results analysis of variance, the effects of WDS, PUT, and cutting time were significant for the dry weight, leaf area index (LAI), EO content, EO yield, chlorophyll (Chl) t, carotenoid, Na, and K of sage. According to regression results, the response of EO content, EO yield, non‐photochemical quenching (NPQ), spad, Chl a, Chl t, K, and K/Na to WDS can be expressed by a quadratic model, indicating that they would attain their maximum in 75.5%, 34.86%, 38.33%, 84.13% 60%, 70%, 50.40%, and 40.28% available soil water depletion (ASWD), respectively. The response of dry weight, LAI, EO content, EO yield, Fv/Fm, spad, ΦpsII, Chl a, Chl b, Chl t, carotenoid, K, and K/Na to PUT can be expressed by a quadratic model, showing that they would attain their most under 0.98, 1.14, 1.34, 1.16, 1.27, 1.18, 1.17, 1.25, 1.17, 1.27, 1.31, 1.21, and 1.19 mM of PUT, respectively. These findings suggest that, probably, the functions and structures of the photosynthetic system were further enhanced with PUT, thereby they can be promoting primary electron transfer in PSII. Also, stomatal and photosynthetic activity improved with increasing K levels with PUT.

Putrescine: A Key Metabolite Involved in Plant Development, Tolerance and Resistance Responses to Stress

Putrescine (Put) is the starting point of the polyamines (PAs) pathway and the most common PA in higher plants. It is synthesized by two main pathways (from ornithine and arginine), but recently a third pathway from citrulline was reported in sesame plants. There is strong evidence that Put may play a crucial role not only in plant growth and development but also in the tolerance responses to the major stresses affecting crop production. The main strategies to investigate the involvement of PA in plant systems are based on the application of competitive inhibitors, exogenous PAs treatments, and the most efficient approaches based on mutant and transgenic plants. Thus, in this article, the recent advances in understanding the role of this metabolite in plant growth promotion and protection against abiotic and biotic stresses will be discussed to provide an overview for future research.

PAs Regulate Early Somatic Embryo Development by Changing the Gene Expression Level and the Hormonal Balance in Dimocarpus longan Lour

Polyamines (PAs) play an important regulatory role in many basic cellular processes and physiological and biochemical processes. However, there are few studies on the identification of PA biosynthesis and metabolism family members and the role of PAs in the transition of plant embryogenic calli (EC) into globular embryos (GE), especially in perennial woody plants. We identified 20 genes involved in PA biosynthesis and metabolism from the third-generation genome of longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.). There were no significant differences between longan and other species regarding the number of members, and they had high similarity with Citrus sinensis. Light, plant hormones and a variety of stress cis-acting elements were found in these family members. The biosynthesis and metabolism of PAs in longan were mainly completed by DlADC2, DlSAMDC2, DlSAMDC3, DlSPDS1A, DlSPMS, DlCuAOB, DlCuAO3A, DlPAO2 and DlPAO4B. In addition, 0.01 mmol∙L⁻¹ 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), putrescine (Put) and spermine (Spm), could promote the transformation of EC into GE, and Spm treatment had the best effect, while 0.01 mmol∙L⁻¹ D-arginine (D-arg) treatment inhibited the process. The period between the 9th and 11th days was key for the transformation of EC into GE in longan. There were higher levels of gibberellin (GA), salicylic acid (SA) and abscisic acid (ABA) and lower levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), ethylene and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in this key period. The expression levels in this period of DlADC2, DlODC, DlSPDS1A, DlCuAOB and DlPAO4B were upregulated, while those of DlSAMDC2 and DlSPMS were downregulated. These results showed that the exogenous ACC, D-arg and PAs could regulate the transformation of EC into GE in longan by changing the content of endogenous hormones and the expression levels of PA biosynthesis and metabolism genes. This study provided a foundation for further determining the physicochemical properties and molecular evolution characteristics of the PA biosynthesis and metabolism gene families, and explored the mechanism of PAs and ethylene for regulating the transformation of plant EC into GE.

Nutrient Solution Temperature Affects Growth and °Brix Parameters of Seventeen Lettuce Cultivars Grown in an NFT Hydroponic System

Nutrient solution temperature in a hydroponic system affects °Brix and yield of lettuce; thus, it is important to maintain the water temperature within an appropriate range. Nutrient-film technique (NFT) trials were conducted to investigate the effects of different water temperatures (18.3 °C, 21.1 °C, and ambient) on growth and °Brix of 17 cultivars from five different types (Loose leaf, Romaine, Butterhead, Salanova, and Batavian) of lettuce. The average daily water temperature for ambient treatment was recorded to be 20 to 26.5 °C. The study was conducted in a split-plot design with three replications over time. Results indicated that water temperature affected root and shoot fresh and dry weight, plant width, and °Brix for lettuce. Lettuce grown at 21.1 °C were 15% greater for shoot fresh weight than plants grown at ambient conditions. All the growth and quality parameters of lettuce were found to be affected by cultivars, with “Coastal Star” showing the best results in both growth and °Brix parameters. All the cultivars of the Romaine type showed greater growth and °Brix, while Salanova lettuce did not perform well in all treatments compared to other lettuce types. For CO2 assimilation, the interaction between water temperature and cultivars was significant, with “Parris Island” having the greatest rate at ambient water temperature. These results suggested that maintaining water temperature at 21.1 °C produced lettuce with greater growth and biomass but had 26% lower °Brix than lettuce grown at 18.3 °C.

Exogenous Putrescine Enhances Salt Tolerance and Ginsenosides Content in Korean Ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) Sprouts

The effect of exogenously applied putrescine (Put) on salt stress tolerance was investigated in Panax ginseng. Thirty-day-old ginseng sprouts were grown in salinized nutrient solution (150 mM NaCl) for five days, while the control sprouts were grown in nutrients solution. Putrescine (0.3, 0.6, and 0.9 mM) was sprayed on the plants once at the onset of salinity treatment, whereas control plants were sprayed with water only. Ginseng seedlings tested under salinity exhibited reduced plant growth and biomass production, which was directly interlinked with reduced chlorophyll and chlorophyll fluorescence due to higher reactive oxygen species (hydrogen peroxide; H2O2) and lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde; MDA) production. Application of Put enhanced accumulation of proline, total soluble carbohydrate, total soluble sugar and total soluble protein. At the same time, activities of antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, guaiacol peroxidase in leaves, stems, and roots of ginseng seedlings were increased. Such modulation of physio-biochemical processes reduced the level of H2O2 and MDA, which indicates a successful adaptation of ginseng seedlings to salinity stress. Moreover, protopanaxadiol (PPD) ginsenosides enhanced by both salinity stress and exogenous Put treatment. On the other hand, protopanaxatriol (PPT) ginsenosides enhanced in roots and reduced in leaves and stems under salinity stress condition. In contrast, they enhanced by exogenous Put application in all parts of the plants for most cases, also evidenced by principal component analysis. Collectively, our findings provide an important prospect for the use of Put in modulating salinity tolerance and ginsenosides content in ginseng sprouts.

Exogenous spermidine alleviates the adverse effects of aluminum toxicity on photosystem II through improved antioxidant system and endogenous polyamine contents

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is a major yield-limiting factor for crops in acidic soils. In this work, we have investigated the potential role of spermidine (Spd) on Al toxicity in rice chloroplasts. Exogenous Spd markedly reduced Al concentration and elevated other nutrient elements such as Mn, Mg, Fe, K, Ca, and Mo in chloroplasts of Al-treated plants. Meanwhile, Spd further activated arginine decarboxylase (ADC) activity of key enzyme in polyamine (PA) synthesis, and enhanced PA contents in chloroplasts. Spd application dramatically addressed Al-induced chlorophyll (Chl) losses, inhibited thylakoid membrane protein complexes degradation, especially photosystem II (PSII), and significantly depressed the accumulations of superoxide radical (O₂·^-), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in chloroplasts. Spd addition activated antioxidant enzyme activities and decreased soluble sugar content in chloroplasts compared with Al treatment alone. Spd not only reversed the inhibition of photosynthesis-related gene transcript levels induced by Al toxicity, but diminished the increased expression of Chl catabolism-related genes. Furthermore, Chl fluorescence analysis showed that Spd protected PSII reaction centers and photosynthetic electron transport chain under Al stress, thus improving photosynthetic performance. These results suggest that PAs are involved in Al tolerance in rice chloroplasts and can effectively protect the integrity and function of photosynthetic apparatus, especially PSII, by mitigating oxidative damage induced by Al toxicity.

Polyamine biosynthetic pathways and their relation with the cold tolerance of maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings

BACKGROUND

The present study was designed to investigate the inhibition role of two polyamine biosynthesis inhibitors, i.e., D-arginine (D-Arg) and DL-α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), in polyamine biosynthesis under chilling stress in different tissues of two maize inbred lines - Huang C (chilling-tolerance) and Mo17 (chilling-sensitive).

RESULTS

The results showed that exposure to the lower concentration of polyamine biosynthesis inhibitors improved seedlings growth, such as the root length, root and shoot fresh weight, chlorophyll a (chl a). The effectiveness of 10 µM D-Arg treatments was more prominent than those of 10 µM DFMO. However, the higher concentration of inhibitors suppressed seedlings growth, and the exposure to 100 µM DFMO caused stronger decreases in the photosynthetic pigments, such as chlorophyll a (chl a), chlorophyll b (chl b), total chlorophyll and carotenoids, than the other treatments. Meanwhile, the inhibitor treatments caused the lower content of putrescine (Put) in roots, mesocotyls and coleoptiles in both maize inbred lines as compared with untreated plants. However, the lower concentration (10 µM) of polyamine biosynthetic inhibitors improved the Spd content, except 10 µM D-Arg in root of Huang C, and 10 µM DFMO in coleoptiles of both Mo17 and Huang C. The correlation analysis found that Spd was positively significantly correlated with root length and shoot fresh weight of seedling.

CONCLUSION

It was showed that the Spd played an important role in seedling growth improvement. At the same concentration of polyamine biosynthetic inhibitors, the Put contents in different tissues of the seedlings treated with DFMO were generally lower than those treated with D-Arg, except for Put contents in root of Mo17 with 10 µM treatment. Moreover, the treatments of 100 µM were more prominent than those of 10 µM treatments. Exposure to 100 µM D-Arg and 100 µM DFMO could each decrease the activities of Arginine decarboxylase (ADC), Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC) in all maize tissues. However, the decrease of the ADC activity was more prominent in 100 µM D-Arg-treated seedlings, while the decrease of SAMDC and ODC activities was prominent in 100 µM DFMO-treated seedlings. Genes involved in polyamine biosynthesis, such as ADC, ODC, SAMDC, and PAO, showed different expression patterns in response to chilling stress and polyamine biosynthesis inhibitors. This study suggested that Put was synthesized via both the ADC and ODC pathways after chilling stress, with the ODC pathway being the major one.

Spermine-priming restrained water relations and biochemical deteriorations prompted by water deficit on two soybean cultivars

The outstanding role of spermine in eliciting defense adaptation of soybean to different levels of water deficit (0, -0.1, -0.5 and -1.1 MPa) was investigated by determining the changes in growth, photosynthetic pigments, osmolytes, water relations, and antioxidants. All the studied traits clearly revealed cultivar-dependent variation in response to water deficit where cv. Giza 111 was tolerant and cv. Giza 21 was sensitive. Both cultivars came in agreement that photosynthetic limitation (chlorophylls reduction) was the troubling shot induced by water deficit. Such limitation was reflected on three directions (a) disturbances of water relations (stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, relative water content and water use efficiency), (b) down regulation of metabolites which affect osmotic adjustment and (c) elevated reactive oxygen species (increased hydrogen peroxide) and destruction of membrane stability (increment of electrolyte leakage and lipid peroxidation). The damaging impacts of water deficit on these parameters were obviously coined for sensitive cultivar compared to tolerant one. Although spermine priming did not have apparent stimulatory role on well-watered plants, unequivocal inversion from a state of down regulation to up-regulation was distinct under water stress. In this regard, spermine enhanced pigments, osmolytes accumulation, up-regulated water relations and enhanced membrane stabilization. Furthermore, spermine pre-sowing decreased oxidative stress by lowering hydrogen peroxide via activation of anthocyanins, total antioxidants and phenolic compounds.

Exogenous application of spermine and putrescine mitigate adversities of drought stress in wheat by protecting membranes and chloroplast ultra-structure

Polyamines (PAs) are positively charged molecules known to mitigate drought stress; however, little is known about their mechanism of alleviating drought stress. We investigated the effects of PAs exogenously applied as a seed primer and as a foliar spray on the growth, membrane stability (MS), electrolyte leakage (EL), Na+ and K+ cations, reactive oxygen species (ROS), catalase (CAT; EC 1.11.1.6) and guaiacol peroxidase (GPX; EC 1.11.1.7) activity and chloroplast ultra-structure in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.; cv. Sakha-94) under drought stress. Three PA solutions, namely, putrescine, spermine and a mixture of the two (Mix), were each applied at a concentration of 100 µM. Our study demonstrated that the retardation of chlorophyll loss and elevation of Rubisco levels were involved in PA-enhanced growth under drought stress. These relationships were mainly reflected in elevated fresh weight and dry weight in response to foliar spraying with all PA solutions and seed priming with the Mix solution. The elevated growth seemed to be due to increased photosynthetic pigments, protein and Rubisco. In contrast, drought decreased growth, photosynthetic pigments, protein and Rubisco. MS was enhanced by PAs applied as a seed primer or foliar spray, as shown by clear reductions in EL %, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and the Na+/K+ ratio as well as reduced ROS markers and elevated CAT (but not GPX) activity. Further study showed that the Mix solution of PAs, applied either during seed priming or as a foliar spray, improved chloroplast ultra-structure, suggesting that improvements in Rubisco and photosynthetic pigments were involved in PA maintenance of chloroplast stability. Therefore, the present study showed that elevated CAT activity is the main mechanism through which PAs reduce ROS and MDA, thereby improving MS and protecting mesophyll cells structurally and functionally under drought stress in wheat.

Comparative transcriptomic analysis reveals gene expression associated with cold adaptation in the tea plant Camellia sinensis

Background

Low temperature restricts the planting range of all crops, but cold acclimation induces adaption to cold stress in many plants. Camellia sinensis, a perennial evergreen tree that is the source of tea, is mainly grown in warm areas. Camellia sinensis var. sinensis (CSS) has greater cold tolerance than Camellia sinensis var. assamica (CSA). To gain deep insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying cold adaptation, we investigated the physiological responses and transcriptome profiles by RNA-Seq in two tea varieties, cold resistant SCZ (classified as CSS) and cold susceptible YH9 (classified as CSA), during cold acclimation.

Results

Under freezing stress, lower relative electrical conductivity and higher chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm) values were detected in SCZ than in YH9 when subjected to freezing acclimation. During cold treatment, 6072 and 7749 DEGs were observed for SCZ and YH9, respectively. A total of 978 DEGs were common for both SCZ and YH9 during the entire cold acclimation process. DEGs were enriched in pathways of photosynthesis, hormone signal transduction, and transcriptional regulation of plant-pathogen interactions. Further analyses indicated that decreased expression of Lhca2 and higher expression of SnRK2.8 are correlated with cold tolerance in SCZ.

Conclusions

Compared with CSA, CSS was significantly more resistant to freezing after cold acclimation, and this increased resistance was associated with an earlier expression of cold-induced genes. Because the greater transcriptional differentiation during cold acclimation in SCZ may contribute to its greater cold tolerance, our studies identify specific genes involved in photoinhibition, ABA signal conduction, and plant immunity that should be studied for understanding the processes involved in cold tolerance. Marker-assisted breeding focused on the allelic variation at these loci provides an avenue for the possible generation of CSA cultivars that have CSS-level cold tolerance.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-019-5988-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Characterization of a highly conserved Antheraea pernyi spermidine synthase gene

In the present study, we isolated a spermidine synthase gene from Antheraea pernyi (ApSpds) using expressed sequence tag method. The obtained cDNA sequence of 1483 bp contains an open-reading frame of 864 bp encoding a polypeptide of 287 amino acids. Sequence analysis revealed that ApSpds belonged to class I of AdoMet-MTase family, and exhibited 30% identity to those from bacteria, 45-48% identity to fungi, 36-47% identity to plants, 52-54% identity to vertebrates and 53-80% identity to invertebrates. Phylogenetic analysis found that the used Spds protein sequences were well divided into five groups corresponding to bacteria, fungi, plants, invertebrates and vertebrates, respectively. These results further confirmed that Spds is highly conserved through evolution of life organisms. The ApSpds mRNA is expressed during all four developmental stages and is present in all examined tissues with the highest abundance in the muscle, in which the relative mRNA expression level was 1.6 times higher than in the fat body. Although not significant, the mRNA level decreased after high-temperature exposure suggesting that the Spds gene may not be involved in temperature stress tolerance in A. pernyi. Taken together, our results suggested that ApSpds play an important role in development of silkworm.

Polyamines in Microalgae: Something Borrowed, Something New

Microalgae of different evolutionary origins are typically found in rivers, lakes, and oceans, providing more than 45% of global primary production. They provide not only a food source for animals, but also affect microbial ecosystems through symbioses with microorganisms or secretion of some metabolites. Derived from amino acids, polyamines are present in almost all types of organisms, where they play important roles in maintaining physiological functions or against stress. Microalgae can produce a variety of distinct polyamines, and the polyamine content is important to meet the physiological needs of microalgae and may also affect other species in the environment. In addition, some polyamines produced by microalgae have medical or nanotechnological applications. Previous studies on several types of microalgae have indicated that the putative polyamine metabolic pathways may be as complicated as the genomes of these organisms, which contain genes originating from plants, animals, and even bacteria. There are also several novel polyamine synthetic routes in microalgae. Understanding the nature of polyamines in microalgae will not only improve our knowledge of microalgal physiology and ecological function, but also provide valuable information for biotechnological applications.

Atmospheric CO2 captured by biogenic polyamines is transferred as a possible substrate to Rubisco for the carboxylation reaction

Biogenic polyamines are involved in a wide range of plant cellular processes, including cell division, morphogenesis and stress responses. However, the exact roles of biogenic polyamines are not well understood. We recently reported that biogenic polyamines that have multiple amino groups can react with CO₂ and accelerate calcium carbonate formation in seawater. The ability of biogenic polyamines to capture atmospheric CO₂ prompted us to examine their roles in photosynthesis. Here, we demonstrated that atmospheric CO₂ captured by biogenic polyamines is a candidate substrate for the carboxylation reaction of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), which is an enzyme involved in the first major step of carbon fixation during photosynthesis, and that biogenic polyamines can accelerate the carboxylation reaction of this enzyme because of their specific affinity for CO₂. Moreover, the results of our nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis showed that putrescine, which is the most common biogenic polyamine, reacts with atmospheric CO₂ and promotes the formation of carbamate derivatives and bicarbonate in aqueous environments. A sufficient amount of CO₂ is well known to be produced by carbonic anhydrase from bicarbonate in vivo. The present study indicates that CO₂ would be also produced by the equilibrium reaction from carbonate produced by biogenic polyamines and would be used as a substrate of Rubisco, too. Our results may suggest a new photosynthetic research strategy that involves CO₂-concentrating mechanisms and also possibly constitutes a potential tool for reducing atmospheric CO₂ levels and, consequently, global warming.

Chitosan and spermine enhance drought resistance in white clover, associated with changes in endogenous phytohormones and polyamines, and antioxidant metabolism

The interaction of chitosan and polyamines (PAs) could be involved mitigating drought stress in white clover (Trifolium repens L.). This research aimed to determine the effect of chitosan and PAs, and co-application of chitosan and PAs on improving drought tolerance associated with growth, phytohormones, polyamines and antioxidant metabolism. Plants were pretreated with or without 1gL-1 chitosan, 0.5mM spermine, or 1gL-1 chitosan+0.5mM spermine, then subjected to drought induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 (-0.5MPa) in growth chambers for 14 days. Exogenous chitosan and spermine improved the level of PAs by regulating arginine decarboxylases, S-adenosyl methionine decarboxylase, copper-containing amine oxidase and polyamine oxidase activity, and expression of the genes encoding these enzymes under drought. Application of exogenous chitosan improved ABA content under normal and drought conditions. In addition, chitosan and spermine significantly enhanced the levels of cytokinin and GA, but reduced IAA levels during drought stress. Exogenous chitosan and spermine improved antioxidant defence, including enzyme activity, gene expression and the content of ascorbate and glutathione compounds, leading to a decline in superoxide anion radicals, H2O2 and malondialdehyde, effectively mitigating drought-induced oxidative damage. Other protective metabolites, such as total phenols and flavonoids, increased considerably under application of chitosan and spermine. These results suggest that chitosan-induced drought tolerance could be involved in PA metabolism, changes in endogenous phytohormones and antioxidant defence in white clover. Co-application of chitosan and spermine was more effective than either chitosan or spermine alone in mitigating drought stress.

Interaction of Polyamines, Abscisic Acid, Nitric Oxide, and Hydrogen Peroxide under Chilling Stress in Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) Seedlings

Polyamines (PAs) play a vital role in the responses of higher plants to abiotic stresses. However, only a limited number of studies have examined the interplay between PAs and signal molecules. The aim of this study was to elucidate the cross-talk among PAs, abscisic acid (ABA), nitric oxide (NO), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) under chilling stress conditions using tomato seedlings [(Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) cv. Moneymaker]. The study showed that during chilling stress (4°C; 0, 12, and 24 h), the application of spermidine (Spd) and spermine (Spm) elevated NO and H2O2 levels, enhanced nitrite reductase (NR), nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-like, and polyamine oxidase activities, and upregulated LeNR relative expression, but did not influence LeNOS1 expression. In contrast, putrescine (Put) treatment had no obvious impact. During the recovery period (25/15°C, 10 h), the above-mentioned parameters induced by the application of PAs were restored to their control levels. Seedlings pretreated with sodium nitroprusside (SNP, an NO donor) showed elevated Put and Spd levels throughout the treatment period, consistent with increased expression in leaves of genes encoding arginine decarboxylase (LeADC. LeADC1), ornithine decarboxylase (LeODC), and Spd synthase (LeSPDS) expressions in tomato leaves throughout the treatment period. Under chilling stress, the Put content increased first, followed by a rise in the Spd content. Exogenously applied SNP did not increase the expression of genes encoding S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (LeSAMDC) and Spm synthase (LeSPMS), consistent with the observation that Spm levels remained constant under chilling stress and during the recovery period. In contrast, exogenous Put significantly increased the ABA content and the 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (LeNCED1) transcript level. Treatment with ABA could alleviate the electrolyte leakage (EL) induced by D-Arg (an inhibitor of Put). Taken together, it is concluded that, under chilling stress, Spd and Spm enhanced the production of NO in tomato seedlings through an H2O2-dependent mechanism, via the NR and NOS-like pathways. ABA is involved in Put-induced tolerance to chilling stress, and NO could increase the content of Put and Spd under chilling stress.

Nitric oxide induced by polyamines involves antioxidant systems against chilling stress in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) seedling

Polyamines (PAs) and nitric oxide (NO) are vital signals in modulating plant response to abiotic stress. However, to our knowledge, studies on the relationship between NO and PAs in response to cold stress in tomato are limited. Accordingly, in this study, we investigated the effects of putrescine (Put) and spermidine (Spd) on NO generation and the function of Spd-induced NO in the tolerance of tomato seedling under chilling stress. Spd increased NO release via the nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-like and nitrate reductase (NR) enzymatic pathways in the seedlings, whereas Put had no such effect. Moreover, H₂O₂ might act as an upstream signal to stimulate NO production. Both exogenous NO donor (sodium nitroprusside (SNP)) and Spd enhanced chilling tolerance in tomato, thereby protecting the photosynthetic system from damage. Compared to chilling treatment alone, Spd enhanced the gene expressions of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and their enzyme activities in tomato leaves. However, a scavenger or inhibitor of NO abolished Spd-induced chilling tolerance and blocked the increased expression and activity due to Spd of these antioxidant enzymes in tomato leaves under chilling stress. The results showed that NO induced by Spd plays a crucial role in tomato's response to chilling stress.

Nitric oxide induced by polyamines involves antioxidant systems against chilling stress in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) seedling

Polyamines (PAs) and nitric oxide (NO) are vital signals in modulating plant response to abiotic stress. However, to our knowledge, studies on the relationship between NO and PAs in response to cold stress in tomato are limited. Accordingly, in this study, we investigated the effects of putrescine (Put) and spermidine (Spd) on NO generation and the function of Spd-induced NO in the tolerance of tomato seedling under chilling stress. Spd increased NO release via the nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-like and nitrate reductase (NR) enzymatic pathways in the seedlings, whereas Put had no such effect. Moreover, H2O2 might act as an upstream signal to stimulate NO production. Both exogenous NO donor (sodium nitroprusside (SNP)) and Spd enhanced chilling tolerance in tomato, thereby protecting the photosynthetic system from damage. Compared to chilling treatment alone, Spd enhanced the gene expressions of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and their enzyme activities in tomato leaves. However, a scavenger or inhibitor of NO abolished Spd-induced chilling tolerance and blocked the increased expression and activity due to Spd of these antioxidant enzymes in tomato leaves under chilling stress. The results showed that NO induced by Spd plays a crucial role in tomato's response to chilling stress.

Polyamines Confer Salt Tolerance in Mung Bean (Vigna radiata L.) by Reducing Sodium Uptake, Improving Nutrient Homeostasis, Antioxidant Defense, and Methylglyoxal Detoxification Systems

The physiological roles of PAs (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine) were investigated for their ability to confer salt tolerance (200 mM NaCl, 48 h) in mung bean seedlings (Vigna radiata L. cv. BARI Mung-2). Salt stress resulted in Na toxicity, decreased K, Ca, Mg, and Zn contents in roots and shoots, and disrupted antioxidant defense system which caused oxidative damage as indicated by increased lipid peroxidation, H2O2 content, [Formula: see text] generation rate, and lipoxygenase activity. Salinity-induced methylglyoxal (MG) toxicity was also clearly evident. Salinity decreased leaf chlorophyll (chl) and relative water content (RWC). Supplementation of salt affected seedlings with exogenous PAs enhanced the contents of glutathione and ascorbate, increased activities of antioxidant enzymes (dehydroascorbate reductase, glutathione reductase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase) and glyoxalase enzyme (glyoxalase II), which reduced salt-induced oxidative stress and MG toxicity, respectively. Exogenous PAs reduced cellular Na content and maintained nutrient homeostasis and modulated endogenous PAs levels in salt affected mung bean seedlings. The overall salt tolerance was reflected through improved tissue water and chl content, and better seedling growth.

Pathogenesis-Related Protein 1b1 (PR1b1) Is a Major Tomato Fruit Protein Responsive to Chilling Temperature and Upregulated in High Polyamine Transgenic Genotypes

Plants execute an array of mechanisms in response to stress which include upregulation of defense-related proteins and changes in specific metabolites. Polyamines - putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd), and spermine (Spm) - are metabolites commonly found associated with abiotic stresses such as chilling stress. We have generated two transgenic tomato lines (556HO and 579HO) that express yeast S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase and specifically accumulate Spd and Spm in fruits in comparison to fruits from control (556AZ) plants (Mehta et al., 2002). Tomato fruits undergo chilling injury at temperatures below 13°C. The high Spd and Spm tomato together with the control azygous line were utilized to address role(s) of polyamines in chilling-injury signaling. Exposure to chilling temperature (2°C) led to several-fold increase in the Put content in all the lines. Upon re-warming of the fruits at 20°C, the levels of Spd and Spm increased further in the fruit of the two transgenic lines, the higher levels remaining stable for 15 days after re-warming as compared to the fruit from the control line. Profiling their steady state proteins before and after re-warming highlighted a protein of ∼14 kD. Using proteomics approach, protein sequencing and immunoblotting, the ∼14-kD protein was identified as the pathogenesis related protein 1b1 (PR1b1). The PR1b1 protein accumulated transiently in the control fruit whose level was barely detectable at d 15 post-warming while in the fruit from both the 556HO and 579HO transgenic lines PR1b1 abundance increased and remained stable till d 15 post warming. PR1b1 gene transcripts were found low in the control fruit with a visible accumulation only on d 15 post warming; however, in both the transgenic lines it accumulated and increased soon after rewarming being several-fold higher on day 2 while in 556HO line this increase continued until d 6 than the control fruit. The chilling-induced increase in PR1b1 protein seems independent of ethylene and methyl jasmonate signaling but may be linked to salicylic acid. We propose that polyamine-mediated sustained accumulation of PR1b1 protein in post-warmed chilled tomato fruit is a pre-emptive cold stress response and possibly a defense response mechanism related to Cold Stress-Induced Disease Resistance (SIDR) phenomenon.

Conservation Strategies in the Genus Hypericum via Cryogenic Treatment

In the genus Hypericum, cryoconservation offers a strategy for maintenance of remarkable biodiversity, emerging from large inter- and intra-specific variability in morphological and phytochemical characteristics. Long-term cryostorage thus represents a proper tool for preservation of genetic resources of endangered and threatened Hypericum species or new somaclonal variants with unique properties. Many representatives of the genus are known as producers of pharmacologically important polyketides, namely naphthodianthrones and phloroglucinols. As a part of numerous in vitro collections, the nearly cosmopolitan Hypericum perforatum - Saint John's wort - has become a suitable model system for application of biotechnological approaches providing an attractive alternative to the traditional methods for secondary metabolite production. The necessary requirements for efficient cryopreservation include a high survival rate along with an unchanged biochemical profile of plants regenerated from cryopreserved cells. Understanding of the processes which are critical for recovery of H. perforatum cells after the cryogenic treatment enables establishment of cryopreservation protocols applicable to a broad number of Hypericum species. Among them, several endemic taxa attract a particular attention due to their unique characteristics or yet unrevealed spectrum of bioactive compounds. In this review, recent advances in the conventional two-step and vitrification-based cryopreservation techniques are presented in relation to the recovery rate and biosynthetic capacity of Hypericum spp. The pre-cryogenic treatments which were identified to be crucial for successful post-cryogenic recovery are discussed. Being a part of genetic predisposition, the freezing tolerance as a necessary precondition for successful post-cryogenic recovery is pointed out. Additionally, a beneficial influence of cold stress on modulating naphthodianthrone biosynthesis is outlined.

Root Zone Cooling and Exogenous Spermidine Root-Pretreatment Promoting Lactuca sativa L. Growth and Photosynthesis in the High-temperature Season

Root zone high-temperature stress is a major factor limiting hydroponic plant growth during the high-temperature season. The effects of root zone cooling (RZC; at 25°C) and exogenous spermidine (Spd) root-pretreatment (SRP, 0.1 mM) on growth, leaf photosynthetic traits, and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics of hydroponic Lactuca sativa L. grown in a high-temperature season (average temperature > 30°C) were examined. Both treatments significantly promoted plant growth and photosynthesis in the high-temperature season, but the mechanisms of photosynthesis improvement in the hydroponic grown lettuce plants were different between the RZC and SRP treatments. The former improved plant photosynthesis by increasing stoma conductance (G s) to enhance CO2 supply, thus promoting photosynthetic electron transport activity and phosphorylation, which improved the level of the photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (PSII), rather than enhancing CO2 assimilation efficiency. The latter improved plant photosynthesis by enhancing CO2 assimilation efficiency, rather than stomatal regulation. Combination of RZC and SRP significantly improved P N of lettuce plants in a high-temperature season by both improvement of G s to enhance CO2 supply and enhancement of CO2 assimilation. The enhancement of photosynthetic efficiency in both treatments was independent of altering light-harvesting or excessive energy dissipation.

Global Metabolic Profiling of Arabidopsis Polyamine Oxidase 4 (AtPAO4) Loss-of-Function Mutants Exhibiting Delayed Dark-Induced Senescence

Early and more recent studies have suggested that some polyamines (PAs), and particularly spermine (Spm), exhibit anti-senescence properties in plants. In this work, we have investigated the role of Arabidopsis Polyamine Oxidase 4 (PAO4), encoding a PA back-conversion oxidase, during dark-induced senescence. Two independent PAO4 (pao4-1 and pao4-2) loss-of-function mutants have been found that accumulate 10-fold higher Spm, and this associated with delayed entry into senescence under dark conditions. Mechanisms underlying pao4 delayed senescence have been studied using global metabolic profiling by GC-TOF/MS. pao4 mutants exhibit constitutively higher levels of important metabolites involved in redox regulation, central metabolism and signaling that support a priming status against oxidative stress. During senescence, interactions between PAs and oxidative, sugar and nitrogen metabolism have been detected that additively contribute to delayed entry into senescence. Our results indicate the occurrence of metabolic interactions between PAs, particularly Spm, with cell oxidative balance and transport/biosynthesis of amino acids as a strategy to cope with oxidative damage produced during senescence.

Cotton polyamine oxidase is required for spermine and camalexin signalling in the defence response to Verticillium dahliae

Verticillium dahliae is a destructive, soil-borne fungal pathogen that causes vascular wilt disease in many economically important crops worldwide. A polyamine oxidase (PAO) gene was identified and cloned by screening suppression subtractive hybridisation and cDNA libraries of cotton genotypes tolerant to Verticillium wilt and was induced early and strongly by inoculation with V. dahliae and application of plant hormone. Recombinant cotton polyamine oxidase (GhPAO) was found to catalyse the conversion of spermine (Spm) to spermidine (Spd) in vitro. Constitutive expression of GhPAO in Arabidopsis thaliana produced improved resistance to V. dahliae and maintained putrescine, Spd and Spm at high levels. Hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ), salicylic acid and camalexin (a phytoalexin) levels were distinctly increased in GhPAO-overexpressing Arabidopsis plants during V. dahliae infection when compared with wild-type plants, and Spm and camalexin efficiently inhibited growth of V. dahliae in vitro. Spermine promoted the accumulation of camalexin by inducing the expression of mitogen-activated protein kinases and cytochrome P450 proteins in Arabidopsis and cotton plants. The three polyamines all showed higher accumulation in tolerant cotton cultivars than in susceptible cotton cultivars after inoculation with V. dahliae. GhPAO silencing in cotton significantly reduced the Spd level and increased the Spm level, leading to enhanced susceptibility to infection by V. dahliae, and the levels of H2 O2 and camalexin were distinctly lower in GhPAO-silenced cotton plants after V. dahliae infection. Together, these results suggest that GhPAO contributes to resistance of the plant against V. dahliae through the mediation of Spm and camalexin signalling.

Spermine alleviates drought stress in white clover with different resistance by influencing carbohydrate metabolism and dehydrins synthesis

The objective of this research was to analyse whether ameliorating drought stress through exogenously applied spermine (Spm) was related to carbohydrate metabolism, dehydrins accumulation and the transcription of genes encoding dehydrins in two white clovers (drought-susceptible cv. ‘Ladino’ and drought-resistant cv. ‘Haifa’) under controlled drying conditions for 10 days. The results show that the application of Spm effectively alleviates negative effects caused by drought stress in both cultivars. Exogenous Spm led to accumulation of more water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), sucrose, fructose and sorbitol in both cultivars under drought stress, and also significantly elevated glucose content in leaves of drought-resistant cv. ‘Haifa’, but had no effect on drought-susceptible cv. ‘Ladino’. Accordingly, the key enzyme activities of sucrose and sorbitol metabolism changed along with the application of Spm under drought stress. Spm induced a significant increase in sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) or sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) activity, but decrease in sucrose synthetase (SS) activity when two cultivars were subjected to drought. In addition, the improved accumulation of dehydrins induced by exogenous Spm coincided with three genes expression which was responsible for dehydrins synthesis. But Spm-induced transcript level of dehydrin genes increased earlier in cv. ‘Ladino’ than that in cv. ‘Haifa’. Thus, these results suggest that ameliorating drought stress through exogenously applied Spm may be associated with increased carbohydrate accumulation and dehydrins synthesis. There are differences between drought-susceptible and -resistant white clover cultivars related to Spm regulation of WSC metabolism and dehydrins expression.

Protective action of spermine and spermidine against photoinhibition of photosystem I in isolated thylakoid membranes

The photo-stability of photosystem I (PSI) is of high importance for the photosynthetic processes. For this reason, we studied the protective action of two biogenic polyamines (PAs) spermine (Spm) and spermidine (Spd) on PSI activity in isolated thylakoid membranes subjected to photoinhibition. Our results show that pre-loading thylakoid membranes with Spm and Spd reduced considerably the inhibition of O2 uptake rates, P700 photooxidation and the accumulation of superoxide anions (O2(-)) induced by light stress. Spm seems to be more effective than Spd in preserving PSI photo-stability. The correlation of the extent of PSI protection, photosystem II (PSII) inhibition and O2(-) generation with increasing Spm doses revealed that PSI photo-protection is assumed by two mechanisms depending on the PAs concentration. Given their antioxidant character, PAs scavenge directly the O2(-) generated in thylakoid membranes at physiological concentration (1 mM). However, for non-physiological concentration, the ability of PAs to protect PSI is due to their inhibitory effect on PSII electron transfer.

Polyamine biosynthesis and degradation are modulated by exogenous gamma-aminobutyric acid in root-zone hypoxia-stressed melon roots

We detected physiological change and gene expression related to PA metabolism in melon roots under controlled and hypoxic conditions with or without 5 mM GABA. Roots with hypoxia treatment showed a significant increase in glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) activity and endogenous GABA concentration. Concurrently, PA biosynthesis and degradation accelerated with higher gene expression and enzymes activity. However, endogenous GABA concentrations showed a large and rapid increase in Hypoxia + GABA treated roots. This led to a marked increase in Glu concentration by feedback inhibition of GAD activity. Hypoxia + GABA treatment enhanced arginine (Arg), ornithine (Orn) and methionine (Met) levels, promoting enzyme gene expression levels and arginine decarboxylase (ADC), ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC) activities in roots. Hypoxia + GABA treatment significantly increased concentrations of free putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd) and spermine (Spm) from day two to eight, promoting the PA conversion to soluble conjugated and insoluble bound forms. However, PA degradation was significantly inhibited in hypoxia + GABA treated roots by significantly decreasing gene expression and activity of diamine oxidase (DAO) and polyamine oxidase (PAO). However, exogenous GABA showed a reduced effect in control compared with hypoxic conditions. Our data suggest that alleviating effect of exogenous GABA to hypoxia is closely associated with physiological regulation of PA metabolism. We propose a potential negative feedback mechanism of higher endogenous GABA levels from combined effects of hypoxia and exogenous GABA, which alleviate the hypoxia damage by accelerating PA biosynthesis and conversion as well as preventing PA degradation in melon plants.

Enhanced salt-induced antioxidative responses involve a contribution of polyamine biosynthesis in grapevine plants

The possible involvement of polyamines in the salt stress adaptation was investigated in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) plantlets focusing on photosynthesis and oxidative metabolism. Salt stress resulted in the deterioration of plant growth and photosynthesis, and treatment of plantlets with methylglyoxal-bis(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG), a S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC) inhibitor, enhanced the salt stress effect. A decrease in PSII quantum yield (Fv/Fm), effective PSII quantum yield (Y(II)) and coefficient of photochemical quenching (qP) as well as increases in non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) and its coefficient (qN) was observed by these treatments. Salt and/or MGBG treatments also triggered an increase in lipid peroxidation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation as well as an increase of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POX) activities, but not ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity. Salt stress also resulted in an accumulation of oxidized ascorbate (DHA) and a decrease in reduced glutathione. MGBG alone or in combination with salt stress increased monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), SOD and POX activities and surprisingly no accumulation of DHA was noticed following treatment with MGBG. These salt-induced responses correlated with the maintaining of high level of free and conjugated spermidine and spermine, whereas a reduction of agmatine and putrescine levels was observed, which seemed to be amplified by the MGBG treatment. These results suggest that maintaining polyamine biosynthesis through the enhanced SAMDC activity in grapevine leaf tissues under salt stress conditions could contribute to the enhanced ROS scavenging activity and a protection of photosynthetic apparatus from oxidative damages.

Putrescine, a fast-acting switch for tolerance against osmotic stress

During the last decade we showed clearly that abiotic stress changes the cellular composition of polyamines, which in turn regulate the photochemical and non-photochemical quenching of the received light energy in the photosynthetic apparatus and that modulate substantially the level of plant tolerance. In the present contribution, we tried to change the bioenergetics of the leaf discs before the exposure to osmotic stress only by exogenously supplied putrescine, in order to enhance quickly the tolerance against the abiotic stress. Tobacco leaf discs treated with polyethylene-glycol reduced their water content about 24% within 1h. This relatively mild osmotic stress increased endogenous putrescine about 83% and decreased maximum photosystem II photochemical efficiency about 14%. In line with this, here we show that treatment with 1mM exogenous putrescine 1h before polyethylene-glycol addition protects the photochemical capacity and inhibits loss of water, confirming the key role of putrescine in the modulation of plant tolerance against osmotic stress. Furthermore, our recent works indicate that putrescine is accumulated in lumen during light reactions and may act as a permeable buffer and an osmolyte.

Proteomics reveal cucumber Spd-responses under normal condition and salt stress

To investigate the effects of exogenous Spd on proteomic changes under normal condition and NaCl stress of 3 days in cucumber seedling leaves, a 2-DE gel electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF/TOF MS was performed. A total of 63 differentially expressed proteins responded to salt stress or exogenous Spd treatments, and they were all successfully identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF MS. Many changes were observed in the levels of proteins involved in energy and metabolic pathways, protein metabolic, stress defense, and other functional proteins. Increased salt tolerance by exogenous Spd would contribute to higher expressions of proteins involved in the SAMs metabolism, protein biosynthesis, and defense mechanisms on antioxidant and detoxification. Meanwhile, the regulation of Calvin cycle, protein folding assembly and the inhibition of protein proteolysis by Spd might play important roles in salt tolerance. This study provides insight that may facilitate a better understanding of the salt resistance by Spd in cucumber seedlings.

Dissecting rice polyamine metabolism under controlled long-term drought stress

A selection of 21 rice cultivars (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica and japonica) was characterized under moderate long-term drought stress by comprehensive physiological analyses and determination of the contents of polyamines and selected metabolites directly related to polyamine metabolism. To investigate the potential regulation of polyamine biosynthesis at the transcriptional level, the expression of 21 genes encoding enzymes involved in these pathways were analyzed by qRT-PCR. Analysis of the genomic loci revealed that 11 of these genes were located in drought-related QTL regions, in agreement with a proposed role of polyamine metabolism in rice drought tolerance. The cultivars differed widely in their drought tolerance and parameters such as biomass and photosynthetic quantum yield were significantly affected by drought treatment. Under optimal irrigation free putrescine was the predominant polyamine followed by free spermidine and spermine. When exposed to drought putrescine levels decreased markedly and spermine became predominant in all cultivars. There were no correlations between polyamine contents and drought tolerance. GC-MS analysis revealed drought-induced changes of the levels of ornithine/arginine (substrate), substrates of polyamine synthesis, proline, product of a competing pathway and GABA, a potential degradation product. Gene expression analysis indicated that ADC-dependent polyamine biosynthesis responded much more strongly to drought than the ODC-dependent pathway. Nevertheless the fold change in transcript abundance of ODC1 under drought stress was linearly correlated with the drought tolerance of the cultivars. Combining metabolite and gene expression data, we propose a model of the coordinate adjustment of polyamine biosynthesis for the accumulation of spermine under drought conditions.

Effects of exogenous spermine on chlorophyll fluorescence, antioxidant system and ultrastructure of chloroplasts in Cucumis sativus L. under salt stress

The effects of exogenous spermine (Spm) on plant growth, chlorophyll fluorescence, ultrastructure and anti-oxidative metabolism of chloroplasts were investigated in Cucumis sativus L. under NaCl stress. Salt stress significantly reduced plant growth, chlorophylls content and F(v)/F(m). These changes could be alleviated by foliar spraying with Spm. Salt stress caused an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) content and superoxide anion [Formula: see text] generation rate in chloroplasts. Application of Spm significantly increased activities of superoxidase dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1), peroxidase (POD, EC 1.11.1.7), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX, EC 1.11.1.11) which decreased the levels of [Formula: see text] and MDA in the salt-stressed chloroplasts. Salt stress decreased the activities of dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR, EC 1.8.5.1) and glutathione reductase (GR, EC 1.6.4.2) in the chloroplasts and reduced the contents of dehydroascorbate (DAsA) and glutathione (GSH), but increased monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDAR, EC 1.6.5.4) activity. On the other hand, Spm significantly increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes and levels of antioxidants in the salt-stressed chloroplasts. Further analysis of the ultrastructure of chloroplasts indicated that salinity induced destruction of the chloroplast envelope and increased the number of plastoglobuli with aberrations in thylakoid membranes. However, Spm application to salt-stressed plant leaves counteracted the adverse effects of salinity on the structure of the photosynthetic apparatus. These results suggest that Spm alleviates salt-induced oxidative stress through regulating antioxidant systems in chloroplasts of cucumber seedlings, which is associated with an improvement of the photochemical efficiency of PSII.

Effects of salt stress on the structure and function of the photosynthetic apparatus in Cucumis sativus and its protection by exogenous putrescine

With the objective to clarify the physiological significance of polyamines (PAs) in the photosynthetic apparatus, the present study investigated the effects of salt stress with and without foliar application of putrescine (Put) on the structure and function of the photosynthetic apparatus in cucumber. Salt stress at 75 mM NaCl for 7 days resulted in a severe reduction of photosynthesis. The fast chlorophyll afluorescence transient analysis showed that salt stress inhibited the maximum quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (F(v)/F(m)), mainly due to damage at the receptor side of PSII. In addition, salt stress decreased the density of active reaction centers and the structure performance. The microscopic analysis revealed that salt stress-induced destruction of the chloroplast envelope and increased the number of plastoglobuli along with aberrations in thylakoid membranes. Besides, salt stress caused a decrease in the content of endogenous PAs, conjugated and bound forms of spermidine and spermine in particular, in thylakoid membranes. However, applications of 8 mM Put alleviated the salt stress-mediated decrease in net photosynthetic rates (Pn) and actual efficiency of PSII(Φ(PSII)). Put increased PAs in thylakoid membranes and overcame the damaging effects of salt stress on the structure and function of the photosynthetic apparatus in salt-stressed plant leaves. Put application to control plants neither increased PAs in thylakoid membranes nor affected photosynthesis. These results indicate that PAs in chloroplasts play crucial roles in protecting the thylakoid membranes against the deleterious influences of salt stress. In addition, the present results point to the probability that the salt-induced dysfunction of photosynthesis is largely attributable to the loss of PAs in the photosynthetic apparatus.

New insights into the role of spermine in Arabidopsis thaliana under long-term salt stress

Polyamines (putrescine, spermidine and spermine) are traditionally implicated in the response of plants to environmental cues. Free spermine accumulation has been suggested as a particular feature of long-term salt stress, and in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana the spermine synthase gene (AtSPMS) has been reported as inducible by abscisic acid (ABA) and acute salt stress treatments. With the aim to unravel the physiological role of free spermine during salinity, we analyzed polyamine metabolism in A. thaliana salt-hypersensitive sos mutants (salt overlay sensitive; sos1-1, sos2-1 and sos3-1), and studied the salt stress tolerance of the mutants in spermine and thermospermine synthesis (acl5-1, spms-1 and acl5-1/spms-1). Results presented here indicate that induction in polyamine metabolism is a SOS-independent response to salinity and is globally over-induced in a sensitive background. In addition, under long-term salinity, the mutants in the synthesis of spermine and thermospermine (acl5-1, spms-1 and double acl5-1/spms-1) accumulated more Na(+) and performed worst than WT in survival experiments. Therefore, support is given to a role for these higher polyamines in salt tolerance mechanisms.

Polyamines interaction with thylakoid proteins during stress

The involvement of polyamines in plant responses to abiotic stresses is well investigated, while there has been few reports on the specific mode of action of polyamines on the photosynthetic apparatus. The objective of this review is thus to examine the mode of interaction of polyamines with proteins of photosystem II core and LHCII, including methylamine (monoamine) as a simplified model to better understand the mode of action of polyamines. Spectroscopic methods used to determine the binding mode of amines with PSII proteins showed that amines such as spermine, putrescine and methylamine interact with protein (H-bonding) through polypeptide C=O, C-N and N-H groups with major perturbations of protein secondary structure as the concentration of amines was raised. High concentration of amines added to PSII-enriched submembrane fractions causes a significant loss of PSII activity. However, at lower concentration, polyamines, especially spermine, improve the photosynthetic functions under stress. We concluded from this review that besides the conjugation of polyamines with LHC polypeptides, polyamines are likely to interact with extrinsic proteins and the hydrophilic part of intrinsic proteins of PSII by electrostatic interaction. This could stabilize the conformation of proteins under various stresses. However, at high concentration of polyamines a strong inhibition of PSII activity is observed.

Putrescine accumulation in Arabidopsis thaliana transgenic lines enhances tolerance to dehydration and freezing stress

Polyamines have been globally associated to plant responses to abiotic stress. Particularly, putrescine has been related to a better response to cold and dehydration stresses. It is known that this polyamine is involved in cold tolerance, since Arabidopsis thaliana plants mutated in the key enzyme responsible for putrescine synthesis (arginine decarboxilase, ADC; EC 4.1.1.19) are more sensitive than the wild type to this stress. Although it is speculated that the over-expression of ADC genes may confer tolerance, this is hampered by pleiotropic effects arising from the constitutive expression of enzymes from the polyamine metabolism. Here, we present our work using A. thaliana transgenic plants harboring the ADC gene from oat under the control of a stress-inducible promoter (pRD29A) instead of a constitutive promoter. The transgenic lines presented in this work were more resistant to both cold and dehydration stresses, associated with a concomitant increment in endogenous putrescine levels under stress. Furthermore, the increment in putrescine upon cold treatment correlated with the induction of known stress-responsive genes, and suggested that putrescine may be directly or indirectly involved in ABA metabolism and gene expression.

Polyamines: natural and engineered abiotic and biotic stress tolerance in plants

Polyamines (PAs) are ubiquitous biogenic amines that have been implicated in diverse cellular functions in widely distributed organisms. In plants, mutant and transgenic plants with altered activity pointed to their involvement with different abiotic and biotic stresses. Furthermore, microarray, transcriptomic and proteomic approaches have elucidated key functions of different PAs in signaling networks in plants subjected to abiotic and biotic stresses, however the exact molecular mechanism remains enigmatic. Here, we argue that PAs should not be taken only as a protective molecule but rather like a double-faced molecule that likely serves as a major area for further research efforts. This review summarizes recent advances in plant polyamine research ranging from transgenic and mutant characterization to potential mechanisms of action during environmental stresses and diseases.

Integration of polyamines in the cold acclimation response

Temperature is one of the most important environmental factors limiting the geographical distribution of plants and accounts for significant reductions in the yield of agriculturally important crops. Low temperature damages many plant species, especially those adapted to tropical climates. In contrast, some species from temperate regions are able to develop freezing tolerance in response to low-non-freezing temperature, an adaptive process named cold acclimation. Numerous molecular, biochemical and physiological changes occur during cold acclimation, most of them being associated with significant changes in gene expression and metabolite profiles. During recent years, transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches have allowed the identification of cold-responsive genes and main metabolites which accumulate in plants exposed to cold. The obtained data support the previously held idea that polyamines (PAs) are involved in plant responses to cold, although their specific role is still not well understood. In this review, we synthesize published data regarding PA-responses to cold stress and integrate them with global transcriptional and metabolic changes. The potential of PA genetic engineering for the development of plants resistant to cold and freezing temperatures, and their plausible mechanisms of action are also discussed.

Modulation of exogenous glutathione in antioxidant defense system against Cd stress in the two barley genotypes differing in Cd tolerance

Soil cadmium (Cd) contamination has posed a serious problem for safe food production and become a potential agricultural and environmental hazard worldwide. Greenhouse hydroponic experiments were conducted to investigate the modulation of exogenous GSH (reduced glutathione) in antioxidant defense system against the Cd-induced toxicity in plants exposed to 5 muM Cd using two barley genotypes differing in Cd tolerance. Addition of 20 mg L(-1) GSH in 5 muM Cd culture medium significantly alleviated Cd-induced growth inhibition, especially for the sensitive genotype Dong 17 and dramatically depressed O(2)(-), H(2)O(2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation. GSH mediated intracellular GSH content to keep the level over the control especially in the case of Cd-induced GSH reduction. External GSH counteracted Cd-induced alterations of certain antioxidant enzymes, e.g. brought root dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities of the both genotypes down towards the control level, but elevated the depressed ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and catalase (CAT) activities in Dong 17 after 10-15 d treatment. The examination of APX and superoxide dismutase (SOD) isoenzymes revealed GSH significantly increased MnSOD, sAPX and tAPX activities in the both genotypes, and strongly stimulated Cd-induced decrease in cAPX in the sensitive genotype. Furthermore, External GSH up-regulated root cAPX and leaf cAPX, CAT1, and CAT2 expression at transcript level in Dong 17 to achieve stimulation. These data, especially from the results of depressed O(2)(-), H(2)O(2) and MDA accumulation and elevated Cd-induced decrease in GSH content and APX (strongly stimulated cAPX, sAPX and tAPX) and CAT activities by GSH addition in the sensitive genotype, suggest that elevated intracellular GSH and stimulated APX (especially cAPX, sAPX and tAPX iosenzymes) and CAT activities, when concerning ROS scavenging systems, play an important role in GSH-induced alleviation of oxidative stress.

Spermine pretreatment confers dehydration tolerance of citrus in vitro plants via modulation of antioxidative capacity and stomatal response

Polyamines, small aliphatic polycations, have been suggested to play key roles in a number of biological processes. In this paper, attempts were made to investigate the possibility of improving dehydration tolerance of citrus in vitro plants by exogenous application of spermine (Spm). 'Red Tangerine' (Citrus reticulata Blanco) in vitro plants pretreated with 1 mM Spm exhibited less wilted phenotype and lower water loss and electrolyte leakage than the control under dehydration. Spm-pretreated plants contained higher endogenous polyamine content during the course of the experiment relative to the control, particularly at the end of dehydration, coupled with higher expression levels of ADC and SPMS. Histochemical staining showed that the Spm-pretreated leaves were stained to a lower extent than those without Spm pretreatment, implying generation of less reactive oxygen species (ROS). On the contrary, activities of peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the Spm-pretreated samples were higher than the control at a given time point or during the whole experiment, suggesting that Spm exerted a positive effect on antioxidant systems. In addition, significantly smaller stomatal aperture size was observed in Spm-pretreated epidermal peels, which showed that stomatal closure was promoted by polyamines. All of these data suggest that Spm pretreatment causes accumulation of higher endogenous polyamines and accordingly leads to more effective ROS scavenging (less tissue damage) and stimulated stomatal closure (lower water loss) upon dehydration, which may function collectively to enhance dehydration tolerance.

Identification and characterization of spermidine synthase gene from Panax ginseng

A full length spermidine synthase (PgSPD) cDNA was isolated and characterized from the root of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer. The cDNA was 1,188 nucleotides long and had an open reading frame of 1,002 bp with a deduced amino acid sequence of 333 residues. The calculated molecular mass of the matured protein is approximately 36.38 kDa with a predicated isoelectric point of 5.02. A GenBank BlastX search revealed that the deduced amino acid of PgSPD shares a high degree homology with the Lotus japonicas (78.5% identity, 84% similarity). In the present study we analyzed the expression of PgSPD under various environmental stresses at different time points using real time-PCR. We also determined polyamine content in adventitious roots under salt and chilling stress using HPLC. Our results reveal that PgSPD is slightly induced by mannitol and CuSO4. Otherwise, salt, chilling, abscisic acid and jasmonic acid triggered a significant induction (more than tenfold) of PgSPD within 12-24 h post-treatment, especially; PgSPD was prominently induced by salt (41.5-fold). These results suggest that the transcript of Spd gene involved in PA biosynthesis shows different profiles of expression in response to environmental stress.

Enhancement of spermidine content and antioxidant capacity in transgenic pear shoots overexpressing apple spermidine synthase in response to salinity and hyperosmosis

In our previous work, an apple spermidine synthase (SPDS)-overexpressing transgenic European pear (Pyrus communis L. 'Ballad'), line no. 32 (#32), demonstrated attenuated susceptibility to stress treatment. In the current paper, changes in enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity of the transgenic pear (line #32) were investigated in response to NaCl or mannitol stress. Under non-stressed conditions (before stress treatment), spermidine (Spd) contents and SPDS activity of line #32 were higher than those of the non-transformant (wild type). However, no significant differences were detected between line #32 and the wild type as regards contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and H2O2, and activities of antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR) and glutathione reductase (GR). When exposed to NaCl or mannitol stress, both the wild type and line #32 exhibited accumulation of Spd with the latter accumulating more. The transgenic line contained higher antioxidant enzyme activities, less MDA and H2O2 than the wild, implying it suffered from less injury. These results suggested that increase of Spd content in the transgenic line could, at least in part, lead to enhancing enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity.

Over-expression of the apple spermidine synthase gene in pear confers multiple abiotic stress tolerance by altering polyamine titers

An apple spermidine synthase (SPDS) gene (MdSPDS1) was verified to encode a functional protein by the complementation of the spe3 yeast mutant, which lacks the SPDS gene. To justify our hypothesis that apple SPDS is involved in abiotic stress responses and to obtain transgenic fruit trees tolerant to abiotic stresses as well, MdSPDS1-over-expressing transgenic European pear (Pyrus communis L. 'Ballad') plants were created by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. A total of 21 transgenic lines showing various spermidine (Spd) titers and MdSPDS1 expression levels were obtained. Selected lines were exposed to salt (150 mM NaCl), osmosis (300 mM mannitol), and heavy metal (500 microM CuSO4) stresses for evaluating their stress tolerances. Transgenic line no. 32, which was revealed to have the highest Spd accumulation and expression level of MdSPDS1, showed the strongest tolerance to these stresses. When growth increments, electrolyte leakage (EL), and values of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were monitored, line no. 32 showed the lowest growth inhibition and the least increase in EL or TBARS under stress conditions. Spd titers in wild-type and transgenic lines showed diverse changes upon stresses, and these changes were not consistent with the changes in MdSPDS1 expressions. Moreover, there were no differences in the sodium concentration in the shoots between the wild type and line no. 32, whereas the copper concentration was higher in the wild type than in line no. 32. Although the mechanism(s) underlying the involvement of polyamines in stress responses is not known, these results suggest that the over-expression of the SPDS gene substantially increased the tolerance to multiple stresses by altering the polyamine titers in pear. Thus, MdSPDS1-over-expressing transgenic pear plants could be used to improve desert land and/or to repair polluted environments.

Molecular cloning and characterization of an arginine decarboxylase gene up-regulated by chilling stress in rice seedlings

We cloned a rice cDNA encoding a putative arginine decarboxylase (ADC) protein, a key enzyme involved with putrescine (Put) biosynthesis in plants. The isolated full-length cDNA (OsADC1) contains an insert consisting of 2451 bp. The longest open reading frame within encodes a putative protein of 702 amino acids, with a calculated molecular mass of 74 kDa and an isoelectric point of 4.9. ClustalW alignment revealed that the deduced OsADC1 protein sequence shares overall 60% and 61% identity at the amino acid level with the Pisum sativum and Glycine max ADC proteins, respectively. Additionally, several OsADC1 regions exhibited striking similarity with these two other plant ADC protein sequences, including motifs characteristic of ADC proteins. Further, RNA gel blot analysis revealed markedly increased OsADC1 mRNA levels in rice seedling leaves subjected to chilling stress. Interestingly, this treatment induced a concomitant increase in free Put levels in these samples, coincident with the observed elevated OsADC1 mRNA levels. To our knowledge, this represents the first direct evidence supporting essentially chilling-specific regulation of a rice ADC gene that also potentially influences Put accumulation, a phenomenon previously noted in cold-stressed rice seedlings.

Modulation of polyamine balance in Lotus glaber by salinity and arbuscular mycorrhiza

In this work we investigated the involvement of Glomus intraradices in the regulation of plant growth, polyamines and proline levels of two Lotus glaber genotypes differing in salt tolerance, after longterm exposure to saline stress. The experiment consisted of a randomized block design with three factors: (1) mycorrhizal treatments (with or without AM fungus); (2) two salinity levels of 0 and 200mM NaCl; and (3) L. glaber genotype. Experiments were performed using stem cuttings derived from L. glaber individuals representing a natural population from saline lowlands. One of the most relevant results was the higher content of total free polyamines in mycorrhized plants compared to non-AM ones. Since polyamines have been proposed as candidates for the regulation of root development under saline situations, it is possible that AM plants (which contained higher polyamine levels and showed improved root growth) were better shaped to cope with salt stress. Colonization by G. intraradices also increased (Spd+Spm)/Put ratio in L. glaber roots. Interestingly, such increment in salt stressed AM plants of the sensitive genotype, was even higher than that produced by salinization or AM symbiosis separately. On the other hand, salinity but not mycorrhizal colonization influenced proline levels in both L. glaber genotypes since high proline accumulation was observed in both genotypes under salt stress conditions. Our results suggest that modulation of polyamine pools can be one of the mechanisms used by AM fungi to improve L. glaber adaptation to saline soils. Proline accumulation in response to salt stress is a good indicator of stress perception and our results suggest that it could be used as such among L. glaber genotypes differing in salt stress tolerance.

Involvement of polyamines in plant response to abiotic stress

Environmental stresses are the major cause of crop loss worldwide. Polyamines are involved in plant stress responses. However, the precise role(s) of polyamine metabolism in these processes remain ill-defined. Transgenic approaches demonstrate that polyamines play essential roles in stress tolerance and open up the possibility to exploit this strategy to improve plant tolerance to multiple environmental stresses. The use of Arabidopsis as a model plant enables us to carry out global expression studies of the polyamine metabolic genes under different stress conditions, as well as genome-wide expression analyses of insertional-mutants and plants over-expressing these genes. These studies are essential to dissect the polyamine mechanism of action in order to design new strategies to increase plant survival in adverse environments.