Abstract
γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) participates in the regulation of adaptability to abiotic stress in plants. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of GABA priming on improving thermotolerance in creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) based on analyses of physiology and proteome using iTRAQ technology. GABA-treated plants maintained significantly higher endogenous GABA content, photochemical efficiency, performance index on absorption basis, membrane stability, and osmotic adjustment (OA) than untreated plants during a prolonged period of heat stress (18 days), which indicated beneficial effects of GABA on alleviating heat damage. Protein profiles showed that plants were able to regulate some common metabolic processes including porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, glutathione metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, carbon fixation, and amino acid metabolism for heat acclimation. It is noteworthy that the GABA application particularly regulated arachidonic acid metabolism and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis related to better thermotolerance. In response to heat stress, the GABA priming significantly increased the abundances of Cu/ZnSOD and APX4 that were consistent with superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities. The GABA-upregulated proteins in relation to antioxidant defense (Cu/ZnSOD and APX4) for the reactive oxygen species scavenging, heat shock response (HSP90, HSP70, and HSP16.9) for preventing denatured proteins aggregation, stabilizing abnormal proteins, promoting protein maturation and assembly, sugars, and amino acids metabolism (PFK5, ATP-dependent 6-phosphofructokinase 5; FK2, fructokinase 2; BFRUCT, β-fructofuranosidase; RFS2, galactinol-sucrose galactosyltransferase 2; ASN2, asparagine synthetase 2) for OA and energy metabolism, and transcription factor (C2H2 ZNF, C2H2 zinc-finger protein) for the activation of stress-defensive genes could play vital roles in establishing thermotolerance. Current findings provide an illuminating insight into the new function of GABA on enhancing adaptability to heat stress in plants.
Highlights
IntroductionHeat-induced losses in an agricultural economy will further extend worldwide [1]
With global warming, heat-induced losses in an agricultural economy will further extend worldwide [1]
These findings demonstrated that the analysis of protein profiles was an important strategy for better understanding of the thermotolerance in plants differing in heat tolerance
Summary
Heat-induced losses in an agricultural economy will further extend worldwide [1]. Protein expression and reprograming are very important for plants to acclimate to heat stress. Heat stress damaged cell membranes and photosynthesis along with significant regulation of proteins involved in abiotic stress defense, photosynthesis, and signal transduction in leaves of Potentilla Fruticosa [4]. Differential abundance of proteins participating in stress defense, energy, and nucleotide metabolism, and signal transduction was related to the adaptation to heat stress in mustard (Brassica juncea) plants [5]. These findings demonstrated that the analysis of protein profiles was an important strategy for better understanding of the thermotolerance in plants differing in heat tolerance
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