Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Functional Plant Biology Functional Plant Biology Society
Plant function and evolutionary biology
RESEARCH ARTICLE

De novo protein synthesis in relation to ammonia and proline accumulation in water stressed white clover

Tae-Hwan Kim A E , Bok-Rye Lee A , Woo-Jin Jung B , Kil-Yong Kim C , Jean-Christophe Avice D and Alain Ourry D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Animal Science, Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Korea.

B Glucosamine Saccharide Materials Laboratory (NRL), Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Korea.

C Department of Biological and Environmental Chemistry, College of Agriculture and Life Science, APSRC, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Korea.

D UMR, INRA-UCBN, Écophysiologie végétale, Agronomie et Nutritions NCS, Institut de Biologie Fondamentale et Appliquée, Université de Caen, F-14 032 Caen Cedex, France.

E Corresponding author; email: grassl@chonnam.ac.kr

Functional Plant Biology 31(8) 847-855 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP04059
Submitted: 24 March 2004  Accepted: 19 May 2004   Published: 23 August 2004

Abstract

The kinetics of protein incorporation from newly-absorbed nitrogen (N, de novo protein synthesis) was estimated by 15N tracing in 18-week-old white clover plants (Trifolium repens L. cv. Regal) during 7 d of water-deficit treatment. The physiological relationship between kinetics and accumulation of proline and ammonia in response to the change in leaf-water parameters was also assessed. All leaf-water parameters measured decreased gradually under water deficit. Leaf and root dry mass was not significantly affected during the first 3 d when decreases in leaf-water parameters were substantial. However, metabolic parameters such as total N, proline and ammonia were significantly affected within 1 d of commencement of water-deficit treatment. Water-deficit treatment significantly increased the proline and NH3–NH4+ concentrations in both leaves and roots. There was a marked reduction in the amount of N incorporated into the protein fraction from the newly absorbed N (NANP) in water-deficit stressed plants, particularly in leaf tissue. This reduction in NANP was strongly associated with an increased concentration of NH3–NH4+ in roots (P≤0.05) and proline (P≤0.01) in leaves and roots. These results suggest that proline accumulation may be a sensitive biochemical indicator of plant water status and of the dynamics of de novo protein synthesis in response to stress severity.

Keywords: ammonia, leaf-water parameters, 15N-protein, proline, Trifolium repens, water-deficit stress.


Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the Korea Research Foundation Grant (KRF-2002–013-G000008). We thank MP Henry for conducting isotopic analyses.


References


Almansouri M, Kinets JM, Lutts S (1999) Compared effects of sudden and progressive impositions of salt stress in three durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) cultivars. Journal of Plant Physiology 154, 743–752. open url image1

Aslam M, Huffaker R, Rains D (1984) Early effects of salinity on nitrate assimilation in barley seedlings. Plant Physiology 76, 321–325. open url image1

Aspinall D, Paleg LG (1981) Proline accumulation: physiological aspects. ‘The physiology and biochemistry of drought resistance in plants’. (Eds D Aspinall, LG Paleg) pp. 205–241. (Academic Press: Sydney)

Bajji M, Mutts M, Kinet JM (2001) Water deficit effects on solute contribution to osmotic adjustment as a function of leaf ageing in three durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) cultivars performing differently in arid conditions. Plant Science 160, 669–681.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Bates LS, Waldren RP, Teare ID (1973) Rapid determination of free proline for water-stress studies. Plant and Soil 39, 205–207. open url image1

Bittman S, Simpson GM (1989) Drought effects on water relations of three cultivated grasses. Crop Science 29, 992–999. open url image1

Chazen O, Neumann PM (1994) Hydraulic signals from roots and rapid cell-wall hardening in growing maize (Zea maize L.) leaves are primary responses to polyethylene glycol-induced water deficits. Plant Physiology 104, 1385–1392.
PubMed |
open url image1

Costa França MG, Thi ATP, Pimntel C, Pereyra Rossiello RO, Zuily-Fodil Y, Laffray D (2000) Differences in growth and water relations among Phaseolus vulgaris cultivars in response to induced drought stress. Environmental and Experimental Botany 43, 227–237.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Delauney AJ, Verma DPS (1993) Proline biosynthesis and osmoregulation in plants. The Plant Journal 4, 215–223.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Dubay R, Pessarakli M (1995) Physiological mechanisms of nitrogen absorption and assimilation in plants under stressful conditions. ‘Handbook of plant and crop physiology’. (Ed. M Pessarakli) pp. 605–625. (Marcel Dekker Inc.: New York)

Figueiredo MVB, Burity HA, França FP (1999) Drought stress response in enzymatic activities of cowpea nodules. Journal of Plant Physiology 155, 262–268. open url image1

Foyer CH, Valadier MH, Andre M, Becker TW (1998) Drought-induced effects on nitrate reductase activity and mRNA and on the coordination of nitrogen and carbon metabolism in maize leaves. Plant Physiology 117, 283–292.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Frensch J (1997) Primary responses of root and leaf elongation to water deficits in the atmosphere and soil solution. Journal of Experimental Botany 48, 985–999.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Girousse C, Bournoville R, Bonnemain JL (1996) Water deficit-induced changes in concentration in proline and some other amino acids in the phloem sap of alfalfa. Plant Physiology 111, 109–113.
PubMed |
open url image1

Hare PD, Cress WA, Staden V (1998) Dissecting the role of osmolyte accumulation during stress. Plant, Cell and Environment 21, 535–553.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Hong Z, Lakkineni K, Zhang Z, Verma DPS (2000) Removal of feedback inhibition of Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase increased proline accumulation and protection of plants from osmotic stress. Plant Physiology 122, 1129–1136.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Huang IS, Liu LF, Kao CH (1994) Putrescine accumulation is associated with growth inhibition in suspension-cultured rice cells under potassium deficiency. Plant and Cell Physiology 35, 313–316. open url image1

Iannucci A, Russo M, Arena L, Fonzo ND, Martiniello P (2002) Water deficit effects on osmotic adjustment and solute accumulation in leaves of annual clovers. European Journal of Agronomy 16, 111–122.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Katerji N, van Hoorn JW, Hamdy A, Mastrorilli M, Mou Karzel E (1997) Osmotic adjustment of sugar beets in response to soil salinity and its influence on stomatal conductance, growth and yields. Agricultural Water Management 34, 57–69.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Kim TH, Kim BH (1996) Ammonia microdiffusion and clorimetric method for determining nitrogen in plant tissues. Journal of the Korean Society of Grassland Science 16(4), 253–259. open url image1

Kim TH, Ourry A, Boucaud J, Lemaire G (1991) Changes in source–sink relationship for nitrogen during regrowth of lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) following removal of shoots. Australian Journal of Plant Physiology 18, 593–602. open url image1

Lazcano-Ferrat I, Lovatt CJ (1999) Relationship between relative water content, nitrogen pools and growth of Phaseolus vulgaris L. and P. acutifolius A. Gray during water deficit. Crop Science 39, 467–475. open url image1

Lovatt CJ (1990) Stress alters ammonia and arginine metabolism. ‘Polyamines and ethylene: biochemistry, physiology and interactions’. (Ed. HE Flores) pp. 166–179. (American Society of Plant Physiology: Rockville, MD)

Lutts S, Majerus V, Kinet JM (1999) NaCl effects on proline metabolism in rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedling. Physiologia Plantarum 105, 450–458.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Naidu BP, Aspinall D, Paleg LG (1992) Stress physiology: the functional significance of the accumulation of nitrogen-containing compounds. Journal of Horticultural Science 65, 611–616. open url image1

Rabe E (1999) Altered nitrogen metabolism under environmental stress conditions. ‘Handbook of plant and crop stress’. (Ed. M Pessarakli) pp. 349–363. (Marcel Dekker: New York)

Rao R, Gnanam A (1990) Inhibition of nitrate and nitrite reductase activities by salinity stress in Sorghum vulgare.  Phytochemistry 29, 2027–2029.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Roosens NH, Al Bitar F, Loenders K, Angenon G, Jacobs M (2002) Overexpression of ornithine-δ-aminotransferase increase proline biosynthesis and confers osmotolerance in transgenic plants. Molecular Breeding 9, 73–80.
Crossref |
open url image1

Sánchez FJ, Manzanares M, de Andres EF, Tenorio JL, Ayerbe L (1998) Turgor maintenance, osmotic adjustment and soluble sugar and proline accumulation in 49 pea cultivars in response to water stress. Field Crops Research 59, 225–235.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Serraj R, Sinclair TR, Purcell LC (1999) Symbiotic N2 fixation response to drought. Journal of Experimental Botany 50, 143–155.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Silveira JAG, Melo ARB, Viégas RA, Oliveira JTA (2001) Salinity-induced effects on nitrogen assimilation related to growth in cowpea plants. Environmental and Experimental Botany 46, 171–179.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Singh DK, Sale PWG, Pallaghy CK, Singh V (2000) Role of proline and leaf expansion rate in the recovery of stressed white clover leaves with increased phosphorus concentration. New Phytologist 146, 261–269.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Slocum RD, Weinstein LH (1990) Stress-induced putrescine accumulation as a mechanism of ammonia detoxification in cereal leaves. ‘Polyamines and ethylene: biochemistry, physiology and interactions’. (Ed. HE Flores) pp. 157–165. (American Society of Plant Physiology: Rockville, MD)

Yancey PH, Clark ME, Hand SC, Bowlus RD, Somero CN (1982) Living with water stress: evolution of osmolyte system. Science 217, 1214–1222.
PubMed |
open url image1