title: Stress-induced synthesis of proline confers tolerance to water deficit in transgenic wheat.
abstract: Water deficit is one of the main abiotic factors that affect spring wheat planted in subtropical regions. Accumulation of proline appears to be a promising approach to maintain the productivity of plants under stress condition. However, morphological alterations and growth reduction are observed in transgenic plants carrying genes coding for osmoprotectants controlled by constitutive promoters. We report here the effects of water deficit on wheat plants transformed with the Vigna aconitifolia Delta(1)-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS) cDNA that encodes the key regulatory enzyme in proline biosynthesis, under the control of a stress-induced promoter complex-AIPC. Transgenic wheat plants submitted to 15 days of water shortage presented a distinct response. We have found that drought resulted in the accumulation of proline. The tolerance to water deficit observed in transgenic plants was mainly due to protection mechanisms against oxidative stress and not caused by osmotic adjustment.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Paraná-Campus Palotina, Rua Pioneiro, 2153, CEP 85950-000 Palotina-Pr, Brazil. vendruscolo@ufpr.br
authors.forename: Eliane Cristina Gruszka
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Vendruscolo
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schuster
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pileggi
authors.forename: Carlos Alberto
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Scapim
authors.forename: Hugo Bruno Correa
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Molinari
authors.forename: Celso Jamil
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Marur
authors.forename: Luiz Gonzaga Esteves
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Vieira
mesh_terms: D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011392:Proline / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013997:Time Factors; D014908:Triticum / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D011392:Proline