ABSTRACT
In early seedlings of wheat genotypes two isoforms of Rubisco activase with molecular weights of 42 and 46 kDa are expressed. Amounts of both isoforms significantly increase in early seedlings of the durum wheat genotype Barakatli-95 exposed to salt stress. But at the beginning of the tillering stage, the changes in quantities of both RCA isoforms are different in durum and bread wheat genotypes subjected to a 3-day drought stress. In the leaves of the early seedlings of the studied wheat genotypes exposed to drought stress quantities of PEPC subunits increase compared to the control but they remain relatively stable in early roots and germinating seeds. However, quantities of its subunits decrease sharply in roots and germinating seeds of early seedlings under the influence of 100 mM NaCl. In flag leaves and ear elements of the Barakatli-95 genotype grown under normal water supply conditions protein quantities of PEPC subunits change differently depending on time. Changes in protein quantities of RCA, PEPC and Rubisco enzymes have been studied comparatively in ear elements and flag leaves after the fourth day of anthesis.
ABSTRACT
Regulation of Rubisco (D-ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase activase (RCA) gene expression and polypeptide content were determined in Brachypodium distachyon leaves, stems and ear elements at different developmental stages under optimal growth conditions as well as under drought and salt stress conditions. B. distachyon leaf contains a much greater amount of Rubisco activase small (RCAS) isoform than the large one (RCAL) under optimal growth conditions. Increased levels of the RCAL isoform compared with the RCAS isoform were found in leaves and in green stems under salt and drought stress, respectively. Transcriptional levels of RCA are almost identical in different leaf positions. Short-term drought and salt stresses did not cause the impairment of RCA gene expression in early seedlings. But gradually increasing drought stress significantly decreased gene expression in early seedling samples. Amounts of the RCAS isoform were found to be more in different leaves of the plant compared with the RCAL isoform and their ratio was constant under normal condition. In green stems gene expression of RCA decreased under salt and drought stresses, although as it was in green leaves protein amounts of RCAL isoform increased compared with the RCAS isoform. All of the above described results clearly indicate that the accumulation of each RCA isoform is differentially regulated by developmental and environmental cues.
