Stem aquaporins and surfactant-related genes are differentially expressed in two Eucalyptus species in response to water stress

Author(s)

Feltrim, Daniela ^{[1, 2]} ; Pereira, Luciano ^{[1, 3]} ; de Santana Costa, Marilia Gabriela ^[4] ; Balbuena, Tiago Santana ^[4] ; Mazzafera, Paulo ^{[1, 2]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, UNICAMP, Inst Biol, Dept Plant Biol, POB 6109, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Agr Luiz de Queiroz, Dept Crop Prod, Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

^[3] Ulm Univ, Dept Systemat Bot & Ecol, Ulm - Germany

^[4] Sao Paulo State Univ, Fac Agr & Vet Sci, Dept Technol, BR-14884900 Jaboticabal, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: PLANT STRESS; v. 1, JAN 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

The regulation of water column tension in the xylem is essential to avoid embolism formation. Plants can actively reduce the hydraulic resistance in the xylem by moving water from the neighbourhood living cell, via aquaporins. They can also produce substances known as surfactants which stabilise nanobubbles avoiding embolism. Transcriptomic and proteomic data were used to test the presence of these two mechanisms in stems of Eucalyptus grandis and E. globulus grown at two temperature treatments (10-12 degrees C and 33-35 degrees C), thus at different vapour-pressure deficit (VPD) conditions. In both temperatures, plants were kept well-watered. Ten aquaporin genes (6 PIPs and 4 TIPs) and seven surfactant related genes (two phospholipid/glycerol acyltransferase and five lipid-transfer protein - LTP) were identified. Six aquaporins and two surfactant-related proteins identified in the proteomic analysis matched the transcriptome data. Seven aquaporin genes were up-regulated under 30 degrees C, and high VPD in E. globulus (PIP1;2, PIP2;7, PIP1;4, TIP2;1, TIP1;3, TIP1;3(2), and TIP2;1(2)) and three were down-regulated (PIP2;5, PIP2;2, and PIP2;6). We also stressed plants of both species and analysed aquaporin and surfactant-related gene expression along with water stress development. The results showed that they also respond to water stress. Although we could not isolate the effect of temperature in the proteome and transcriptome experiments, our results suggest that aquaporins and surfactants can be involved in the reduction of embolism in eucalyptus under high xylem tension, by allowing radial transport of water in the stem and stabilising nanobubbles, respectively. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/51949-5 - Physiological responses of Eucalyptus globulus and E. grandis to high concentration of CO2 and temperature variations, identified by metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses
• Grantee: Paulo Mazzafera
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research Partnership for Technological Innovation - PITE
• FAPESP's process: 11/11650-0 - Changes in the protein expression profile of eucalyptus globulus in response to variations in the growth temperature and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration
• Grantee: Tiago Santana Balbuena
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants