International Journal of Molecular Sciences (Aug 2020)

Freezing Tolerance of <em>Lolium multiflorum/Festuca arundinacea</em> Introgression Forms is Associated with the High Activity of Antioxidant System and Adjustment of Photosynthetic Activity under Cold Acclimation

  • Adam Augustyniak,
  • Izabela Pawłowicz,
  • Katarzyna Lechowicz,
  • Karolina Izbiańska-Jankowska,
  • Magdalena Arasimowicz-Jelonek,
  • Marcin Rapacz,
  • Dawid Perlikowski,
  • Arkadiusz Kosmala

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21165899
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 21, no. 16
p. 5899

Abstract

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Though winter-hardiness is a complex trait, freezing tolerance was proved to be its main component. Species from temperate regions acquire tolerance to freezing in a process of cold acclimation, which is associated with the exposure of plants to low but non-freezing temperatures. However, mechanisms of cold acclimation in Lolium-Festuca grasses, important for forage production in Europe, have not been fully recognized. Thus, two L. multiflorum/F. arundinacea introgression forms with distinct freezing tolerance were used herein as models in the comprehensive research to dissect these mechanisms in that group of plants. The work was focused on: (i) analysis of cellular membranes’ integrity; (ii) analysis of plant photosynthetic capacity (chlorophyll fluorescence; gas exchange; gene expression, protein accumulation, and activity of selected enzymes of the Calvin cycle); (iii) analysis of plant antioxidant capacity (reactive oxygen species generation; gene expression, protein accumulation, and activity of selected enzymes); and (iv) analysis of Cor14b accumulation, under cold acclimation. The more freezing tolerant introgression form revealed a higher integrity of membranes, an ability to cold acclimate its photosynthetic apparatus and higher water use efficiency after three weeks of cold acclimation, as well as a higher capacity of the antioxidant system and a lower content of reactive oxygen species in low temperature.

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