Abscisic acid and nitric oxide signaling on the induction of crassulacean acid metabolism in Guzmania monostachia (Bromeliaceae)

Author(s)

Paulo Tamaso Mioto

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Biociências (IBIOC/SB)
• Defense date: 2012-03-02

Examining board members

Helenice Mercier; Marcos Pereira Marinho Aidar; Luciano Freschi

• Advisor: Helenice Mercier

Abstract

Guzmania monostachia is a C3-CAM facultative epiphyte tank bromeliad and a very promising model to study the C3 to CAM transition. Results obtained on the Laboratory of Plant Physiology on IBUSP showed that this transition occurs differently along the leaf blade o this species, as it is much stronger on the apical portion of the leaf, when compared to the basal one. Another research, from the same group, strongly suggests that on the induction of CAM in young pineapple plants is mediated by abscisic acid (ABA) and nitric oxide (NO). Based on both of these results, this work intends to characterize the role of NO and ABA in CAM signaling, using as a model of study a species which is generally accepted to be a facultative CAM on natural conditions. Besides that, G. Monostachia shows different degrees of CAM along the leaf blade, which makes an interesting model of it for signaling studies. It was also attempted to use detached leaves as a valid model of study for this species. Since no remarkable differences were detected between an experiment performed with whole plants or detached leaves alone, it was chosen to carry over the work using only detached leaves. The induction of CAM was performed by drought, using a 30% polyethyleneglycol (PEG) solution. The nocturnal acid accumulation and the activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) enzymes were measured in three portions of the leaf (basal, middle and apical). The water amount was indicative of the water loss on foliar tissues. NO participation was assessed through chemioluminescence, spectrofluorimetry and in situ localization by fluorescence microscopy. A NO donor was also used. ABA was quantified by gas chromatography associated with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The leaves changed the photosynthetic metabolism from C3 to CAM on the sixth day after the beginning of PEG exposure (as stated by the nocturnal acid accumulation and PEPC activity), but the decrease in water amount values started soon, after 12 hours of exposure, and stabilizing after 24 hours. The major loss of water percentage was detected on the basal portion, persisting until the seventh day, while on the apical portion, after two days the control and PEG-treated leaves remained similar. Since the C3-CAM change occurred in the apical portion, it is possible to suggest a signal transport from the base to the apex of the leaf in response to water loss. Indeed, the ABA levels remained higher with the water loss along the whole leaf, but with greater intensity on the apical portion. Higher NO levels were also detected on PEG-treated leaves, but only on the apical portion. The in situ localization of NO corroborates the spectrofluorimetry, showing an increase on the sixth day after PEG exposure on the leaf apex. In conclusion, both NO and ABA seem to participate on the signaling of CAM. Possibly, ABA plays a decisive role on indicating drought, because it increases on the whole leaf subjected to PEG, while NO is, maybe, a secondary signal, specific to processes that occur only on the apical portion, such as the CAM induction. (AU)