Changes of plasma membrane H+-ATPase activities of Glycine max seeds by PEG treatment

Abstract

The soybean (Glycine max) Heihe No. 23 is sensitive to imbibitional chilling injury. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) treatment can improve chilling tolerance of soybean seeds to a certain extent. The changes of hydrolytic ATPase in plasma membranes and H+-pumping responses in soybean seeds were investigated during PEG treatments. Effects of exogenous calcium and exogenous ABA on the hydrolytic ATPase were also examined in order to understand the mechanism of chilling resistance. Highly purified plasma membranes were isolated by 6.0% aqueous two-phase partitioning from soybean seeds, as judged by the sensitivity of hydrolytic ATPase to sodium vanadate. PEG treatment resulted in a slight increase of the hydrolytic ATPase activity in 12 h. Then the activity decreased gradually, but still higher than the control. The H+-pumping activity increased steadily during PEG treatment. Exogenous calcium had both activating and inhibiting effects on the hydrolytic ATPase, but the activity was inhibited in soybean seeds treated with exogenous ABA. Results suggested that PEG treatment, not the exogenous calcium and ABA, up-regulated H+-ATPase activities in soybean seeds.