Aluminum interference in ABA and proline accumulation in needle and root apices of Pinus sylvestris

• Grant number: 21/12462-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: April 01, 2022
• End date: July 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Crop Science
• Principal Investigator: Gustavo Habermann
• Grantee: Brenda Mistral de Oliveira Carvalho
• Supervisor: Ivano Livio Brunner
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Switzerland
• Associated to the scholarship: 18/15359-8 - Direct effects of Al in leaves of sensitive and Al-accumulating species and al role in roots of Al-accumulating species, BP.DR

Abstract

It has been suggested that the low stomatal conductance (gs) caused by aluminum(Al) exposure is explained by the Al-induced root growth inhibition that would causereduced water uptake. Nevertheless, in the last years, studies have evidenced that it canbe, actually, explained by multifactor effects. Recent studies have shown increase inabscisic acid (ABA) concomitant to reduction in gs in plants exposed to Al, suggesting arole of ABA in Al-induced decrease in gs. Few studies have pointed out that prolineincreases in plants exposed to Al. Both ABA and proline is commonly associated todrought stress, inducing low gs and reduced leaf growth. For instance, the conifer Pinussylvestris increases ABA and proline concentration under water deficit. So far, ABA andproline has been measured in plants exposed to only one Al concentration and evaluatedjust once, or in plants exposed to distinct Al concentrations but still evaluated just once.Moreover, studies measuring proline have not usually measured gs, neither associatedboth variables. Therefore, studying the Al interference in ABA, proline and gs responsesover time is of crucial importance, as these effects are still unclear, especially in woodycrop plants that are sensitive to Al. Here, we aim to cultivate plants of P. sylvestris innutrient solutions containing increasing Al concentrations to test the hypothesis that thehigher the Al concentration in the nutrient solution, the more ABA and proline isaccumulated in the needles and root tips and the lower is needle hydration. Acceptingthis hypothesis means that Al can 'interfere' in ABA and proline metabolism in P.sylvestris. In addition, we want to answer whether ABA and proline increase occurs beforeor after Al impairments on gs. (AU)