Comparative analysis of combined phosphorus and drought stress-responses in two winter wheat.

Phosphorus stress and drought stress are common abiotic stresses for wheat. In this study, two winter wheat varieties "Xindong20" and "Xindong23" were cultured in a hydroponic system using Hoagland nutrient solution and treated with drought stress under conventional (CP: 1.0 mmol/L) and low (LP: 0.05 mmol/L) phosphorus levels. Under drought stress, the root growth was better under LP than under CP. Under LP, root phosphorus content was increased by 94.2% in Xindong20 and decreased by 48.9% in Xindong23 at 3 d after re-watering, compared with those at 0 d under drought stress. However, the potassium (K) content was the highest among the four elements studied and the phosphorus (P) and calcium (Ca) content were reduced in the root of the two varieties. Under CP, the zinc (Zn) content was higher than that under LP in Xindong23. The GeneChip analysis showed that a total of 4,577 and 202 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected from the roots of Xindong20 and Xindong23, respectively. Among them, 89.9% of DEGs were involved in organelles and vesicles in Xindong20, and 69.8% were involved in root anatomical structure, respiratory chain, electron transport chain, ion transport, and enzyme activity in Xindong23. Overall, LP was superior to CP in mitigating drought stress on wheat, and the regulatory genes were also different in the two varieties. Xindong20 had higher drought tolerance for more up-regulated genes involved in the responses compared to Xindong23.

Programmed cell death in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) endosperm cells is affected by drought stress.

Drought frequently occurs during wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain filling. The objectives of this study were (i) to investigate the effect of post-anthesis drought on programmed cell death (PCD) in wheat endosperm cells and (ii) to examine the role of ethylene (ETH) receptors and abscisic acid (ABA) in regulating wheat endosperm PCD. Two winter wheat cultivars ('Xindong 18' and 'Xindong 22') were used in this study. Grain samples were collected from normal and drought stressed plants at 5-day intervals between 5 and 35 days post-anthesis. The samples were then compared with respect to cell viability, nuclear morphometry, cell ultrastructure, DNA integrity, nucleic acid content, and nuclease activity. Analysis was also conducted about gene transcripts related to PCD, ETH receptors, and ABA biosynthesis and degradation. Drought stress reduced cell viability, accelerated nuclear deformation, and increased mitochondrial dissolution. The activity of nucleic acid hydrolase was greater, and the nucleic acid concentrations were less in the drought treatments than in the control. As a result, the peak in DNA fragmentation occurred earlier in the drought treatment. Drought stress significantly increased the expression of four genes related to ABA (nced1, nced2, ao1, ao2). In contrast, drought significantly reduced the expression of four genes related to ETH receptors (ers1, ers2 etr1, etr2) and one gene related to PCD (dad1). In summary, the results indicated that drought stress caused PCD to occur earlier in the endosperm of winter wheat.

Phosphorus Alters Starch Morphology and Gene Expression Related to Starch Biosynthesis and Degradation in Wheat Grain.

Phosphorus is an essential plant macronutrient which profoundly affects the yield and quality of wheat starch. In this study, scanning electron microscopy showed that P fertilizer amount (0, 46, and 92 kg P ha-1) had no significant effect on the shape of starch granules in wheat (cv. Xindong 20) grain. However, confocal laser scanning microscopy with 3-(4-carboxybenzoyl) quinoline-2-carboxaldehyde and methanolic merbromin stains indicated that P amount influenced the microstructure of the starch granules. Starch granules from the 46 kg P ha-1 treatment released significantly more reducing sugars than those from the 0 and 92 kg P ha-1 treatments during digestion with alpha-amylase and amyloglucosidase digestion. Phosphorus application (especially the 46 kg P ha-1 treatments) significantly increased the relative expression of genes related to starch synthesis (especially during early to mid-grain filling) and starch degradation (especially during mid- and late grain filling). Phosphorus application also increased the transcript abundance of amylase genes at the periphery of the endosperm. We propose that P application, especially the 46 kg P ha-1 treatment, enhanced channels in wheat starch granules. These channels facilitated the transport of substances required for starch biosynthesis, thus increasing starch accumulation in wheat endosperm. These results provide insight into the potential mechanisms through which P influences the microstructure and biosynthesis of wheat starch.