title: Enhanced plastochromanol-8 accumulation during reiterated drought in maize (Zea mays L.).
abstract: Plastochromanol-8 (PC-8) belongs to the group of tocochromanols, and together with tocopherols and carotenoids, might help protect photosystem II from photoinhibition during environmental stresses. Here, we aimed to unravel the time course evolution of PC-8 together with that of vitamin E compounds, in maize (Zea mays L.) plants exposed to reiterated drought. Measurements were performed in plants grown in a greenhouse subjected to two consecutive cycles of drought-recovery. PC-8 contents, which accounted for more than 25% of tocochromanols in maize leaves, increased progressively in response to reiterated drought stress. PC-8 contents paralleled with those of vitamin E, particularly α-tocopherol. Profiling of the stress-related phytohormones (ABA, jasmonic acid and salicylic acid) was consistent with a role of ABA in the regulation of PC-8 and vitamin E biosynthesis during drought stress. Results also suggest that PC-8 may help tocopherols prevent damage to the photosynthetic apparatus. A better knowledge of the ABA-dependent regulation of PC-8 may help us manipulate the contents of this important antioxidant in crops.
authors.affiliation: Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fleta-Soriano
authors.affiliation: Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: smunne@ub.edu.
authors.forename: Sergi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Munné-Bosch
mesh_terms: D000040:Abscisic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism; D002839:Chromans / Q000378:metabolism*; D003517:Cyclopentanes / Q000378:metabolism; D055864:Droughts; D016014:Linear Models; D054883:Oxylipins / Q000378:metabolism; D020156:Salicylic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism; D003313:Zea mays / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002839:Chromans; D003517:Cyclopentanes; D054883:Oxylipins; D014867:Water; D014810:Vitamin E; D002734:Chlorophyll; C013649:plastochromanol 8; C011006:jasmonic acid; D000040:Abscisic Acid; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; D020156:Salicylic Acid
keywords: ABA; Antioxidants; Photosystem II; Plastochromanol-8; Reiterated drought; Tocochromanols; Vitamin E