Effects of abscisic acid on growth and dehydration tolerance of Cynanchum komarovii seedlings

Abstract

Cynanchum komarovii is well adapted to hot and dry adverse environments. To determine if exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) affects the growth and dehydration tolerance of this wild plant, ABA was added into the hydroponic solution at a final concentration of 10 μM for 14 days. Root growth is less inhibited than shoot growth under well-watered condition by ABA treatment. ABA reduced the drying rate of seedlings, indicating the acquisition of increased dehydration tolerance. Increased dehydration tolerance is associated with osmotic adjustment and with accumulation of soluble sugars and dehydrins. Results from immunological detection showed that a band of dehydrins with molecular mass of 28.3 kDa appeared in ABA-treated fresh seedlings, which coincided with that in nontreated seedling dessicated for 4 h in 75% relative humidity. The increased ratio of higher to lower amide I bands in Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis indicated that the proportion of unordered structures in proteins was higher after ABA treatment. We concluded that exogenous ABA improved dehydration tolerance of C. komarovii seedlings.