Adaptation versus shock response to polyethylene glycol‐induced low water potential in cultured potato cells

Abstract

We compared long‐term adaptation versus short‐term or shock response of potato (Solanum tuberosum) cells to polyethylene glycol (PEG)‐induced low water potential. Potato cells, which were allowed to adapt gradually to a decreasing water potential, were able to grow actively in a medium containing 20% PEG. In contrast, no appreciable gain in dry weight was observed in potato cells shocked by abrupt transfer to the same medium. PEG‐adapted cells were also salt‐tolerant, as they were able to proliferate in a medium supplemented with 200 mM NaCl. No visible ultrastructural changes of mitochondria or proplastids were observed in adapted cells at values of low water potential (about −2.0 MPa), which caused membrane disruption and appearance of lipid droplets in unadapted cells. ABA cellular content increased 5‐fold in PEG‐shocked cells but no significant increase was found in PEG‐adapted cells. The intracellular content of free proline increased 12.5 times over the basal level in PEG‐adapted cells and 6.5 times in PEG‐shocked cells. As shown by in vivo protein labeling, shock conditions strongly inhibited protein synthesis, which was completely recovered in PEG‐adapted cells. Osmotin, a protein associated with salt adaptation in tobacco, was constitutively expressed at a high level in PEG‐adapted cells and accumulated in PEG‐shocked cells only three days after the transfer in a medium supplemented with 20% PEG. Proline and osmotin accumulation were coincident with the increase in cellular ABA content in PEG‐shocked cells, but not in PEG‐adapted cells. These data suggest that this hormone is mainly involved in shock response rather than long‐term adaptation.