Phenotypical Temperature Adaptation of Protein Synthesis in Wheat Seedlings : QUALITATIVE ASPECTS. INVOLVEMENT OF AMINOACID:tRNA-LIGASES

Adaptive Potential of Wheat Ribosomes toward Heat Depends on the Large Ribosomal Subunit and Ribosomal Protein Phosphorylation

In a study of the translational efficiency of ribosomal subunits as a function of an in vivo temperature pretreatment, ribosomes were isolated from heat-pretreated (36 degrees C) and reference (20 degrees C) wheat seedlings (Triticum aestivum L.). The efficiency of recombined subunits in translating polyuridylic acid was assessed. A threefold increase in the rate of incorporation of phenylalanine by ribosomes from heat-pretreated plants was due to the large ribosomal subunit. This adaptive temperature effect was not correlated with a higher thermal stability of ribosomes or subunits from heat-pretreated seedlings, and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis failed to detect structural alterations of ribosomal proteins. Phosphorylation of ribosomal proteins in vitro showed no differences between ribosomes or subunits from heat-pretreated and reference plants. Incubation with [(32)P]orthophosphate in vivo led to twice the amount of phosphate in ribosomal proteins from heat-pretreated wheat seedlings. This result is important with respect to the evaluation of the molecular basis of enhanced translational efficiency of ribosomes isolated from heat-pretreated wheat seedlings.

Temperature characteristics and adaptive potential of wheat ribosomes

The translational efficiency of wheat ribosomes was studied as a function of an in vivo temperature pretreatment of wheat seedlings (Triticum aestivum L.). Ribosomes were isolated from heat-pretreated (36 degrees C) and reference (4 degrees C, 20 degrees C) wheat seedlings. The efficiency of the ribosomes in translating polyuridylic acid was assayed. Ribosomes from heat-pretreated seedlings exhibit a threefold enhanced incorporation rate of phenylalanine as compared to ribosomes from wheat seedlings adapted to 20 or 4 degrees C. This difference develops within 24 hours after onset of the heat treatment of seedlings following a 3 hour lag phase. The temperature induced changes can be traced back to the cytoplasmic ribosomes, since cycloheximide inhibits translation almost completely. Thermal inactivation of ribosomes occurs at 45 degrees C, irrespective of the temperature pretreatment of the wheat seedlings. Specific differences in the yield of ribosomes, in the polyribosomal profiles, and in the apparent Arrhenius' activation energy of protein synthesis were observed depending on the age and the temperature pretreatments. The results presented here are considered an important molecular correlation to phenotypical temperature adaptation of in vivo protein synthesis in wheat (M Weidner, C Mathée, FK Schmitz 1982 Plant Physiol 69: 1281-1288).

Phenotypical temperature adaptation of protein turnover in desert annuals

Protein synthesis and protein degradation rates were measured in three desert annual species at four different experimental temperatures. The taxa chosen for this study were the C(3) winter annuals, Bowlesia incana Ruiz & Pavon and Plantago insularis Eastw., and a C(4) summer annual, Atriplex elegans (Moq.) D. Dietr. Peak rates of protein synthesis correlated well with the preferred habitat temperatures of B. incana and A. elegans; optima occurred at 25 and 35 degrees C, respectively. Plants of P. insularis showed an optimum protein synthesis rate at 35 degrees C; however, this optimum rate was considerably lower than for the other two species. Higher activation energies for protein synthesis tended to parallel adaptation to higher temperature habitats. Responses of protein degradation to temperature in A. elegans and B. incana were consistent with their natural thermal regimes, when evaluated for the transition from 25 to 35 degrees C. Again, protein degradation in P. insularis shows an intermediate response to temperature during the 25 to 35 degrees C transition.