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Expansins are involved in cell growth mediated by abscisic acid and indole-3-acetic acid under drought stress in wheat

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Abstract

Expansin protein is a component of the cell wall generally accepted to be the key regulator of cell wall extension during plant growth. Plant hormones regulate expansin gene expression as well as plant growth during drought stress. However, the relationship between expansin and plant hormone is far from clear. Here, we studied the involvement of expansin in plant cell growth mediated by the hormones indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA) under osmotic stress which was induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG)-6000. Wheat coleoptiles from a drought-resistant cultivar HF9703 and a drought-sensitive cultivar 921842 were used to evaluate cell growth and expansin activity. Osmotic stress induced the accumulation of ABA. ABA induced expansin activity mainly by enhancing expansin expression, since ABA induced cell wall basification via decreasing plasma membrane H+-ATPase activity, which was unfavorable for expansin activity. Although ABA induced expansin activity and cell wall extension, treatment with exogenous ABA and/or fluridone (FLU, an ABA inhibitor) suggested that ABA was involved in the coleoptile growth inhibition during osmotic stress. IAA application to detached coleoptiles also enhanced coleoptile growth and increased expansin activity, but unlike ABA, IAA-induced expansin activity was mainly due to the decrease of cell wall pH by increasing plasma membrane H+-ATPase activity. Compared with drought-sensitive cultivar, the drought-resistant cultivar could maintain greater expansin activity and cell wall extension, which was contributive to its resultant faster growth under water stress.

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Abbreviations

ABA:

Abscisic acid

FLU:

Fluridone

IAA:

Indole-3-acetic acid

PM:

Plasma membrane

PEG:

Polyethylene glycol

TIBA:

2, 3, 5-triiodobenzoic acid

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Dr. DJ Cosgrove (Pennsylvania State University, USA) for his technical assistance. This study is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30671259).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Science, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, 271018, Shandong, People’s Republic of China

    Mei-rong Zhao, Yang-yang Han, Ya-nan Feng, Feng Li & Wei Wang

  2. College of Life Science, Chifeng University, Chifeng, 024000, People’s Republic of China

    Mei-rong Zhao

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  1. Mei-rong Zhao
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  2. Yang-yang Han
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  3. Ya-nan Feng
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  4. Feng Li
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  5. Wei Wang
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Correspondence to Wei Wang.

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Communicated by A. Feher.

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Zhao, Mr., Han, Yy., Feng, Yn. et al. Expansins are involved in cell growth mediated by abscisic acid and indole-3-acetic acid under drought stress in wheat. Plant Cell Rep 31, 671–685 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-011-1185-9

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