Abstract
Glycine betaine (GB) is an effective compatible solute that improves the tolerance in plants to various stresses. We investigated the effects of 2 mM GB applied to the roots of a tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) cultivar on enhancing photosynthesis under low-temperature (LT) stress (5/5 °C, 12/12 h, 300 µmol m−2 s−1) and in the subsequent recovery (25/18 °C) from the stress. The net photosynthetic rate, intrinsic efficiency measured as the ratio of variable to maximum fluorescence, and actual efficiency of the photochemistry of photosystem 2 as well as the ATPase activity in the thylakoid membrane decreased, and a distinct K step in the fluorescence transient O-J-I-P appeared under cold stress. Exogenous GB alleviated the decrease in all these parameters. The LT-stress induced the accumulation of 33–66 kDa polypeptides and decreased the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids in the thylakoid membrane. In plants subjected to LT-stress, GB protected these polypeptides from damage and enhanced the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids. An increase in non-radiative energy dissipation (NPQ) may be involved in the improvement of the function of the thylakoid membrane by GB since exogenous GB protected violaxanthin de-epoxidase and enhanced NPQ.
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Abbreviations
- A:
-
antheraxanthin
- Chl:
-
chlorophyll
- DGDG:
-
digalactosyl diacylglycerol
- DTT:
-
1,4-dithiothreitol
- Fv/Fm :
-
intrinsic efficiency of PS2 photochemistry
- GB:
-
glycinebetaine
- IUFA:
-
index of unsaturated fatty acids
- LHC:
-
light-harvesting complex
- LT:
-
low temperature
- MGDG:
-
monogalactosyl diacylglycerol
- NPQ:
-
non-radiative energy dissipation
- OEC:
-
oxygen evolving complex
- P N :
-
net photosynthetic rate
- PG:
-
phosphatidylglycerol
- PS:
-
photosystem
- SQDG:
-
sulfoquinovosyldiglyceride
- V:
-
violaxanthin
- VDE:
-
violaxanthin de-epoxidase
- Z:
-
zeaxanthin
- ΦPS2 :
-
actual efficiency of PS2 photochemistry
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Wang, C., Ma, X.L., Hui, Z. et al. Glycine betaine improves thylakoid membrane function of tobacco leaves under low-temperature stress. Photosynthetica 46, 400–409 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-008-0072-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-008-0072-2