Effects of flooding on downstream processes of glycolysis and fermentation in roots of Melaleuca cajuputi seedlings

Abstract

We investigated the energy metabolism in roots of flooded Melaleuca cajuputi Powell, a tropical flood-tolerant tree species, by measuring adenylate concentrations and activities of glycolytic and fermentative enzymes under flooded conditions. Adenylate energy charge (AEC) decreased slightly to 0.72 on the second day of flooding and recovered to around 0.8 by the fourth day of flooding. Activities of pyruvate decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.1) and alcohol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.1) increased initially and then decreased to the control level after 14 days of flooding. On the other hand, activities of pyruvate kinase (EC 2.7.1.40), phosphoenolpyruvate phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.2), and a series of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (EC 4.1.1.31), malate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.37), and NADP dependent malic enzyme (EC 1.1.1.40), which can convert PEP into pyruvate, were not induced in flooded roots throughout the experiment. These results suggest that neither the downstream reactions of glycolysis nor ATP production via glycolysis was enhanced by flooding, whereas alcohol fermentation was enhanced. With the low ATP yield of the glycolysis–alcohol fermentation pathway and no induction of glycolytic enzymes, the glycolysis–alcohol fermentation pathway itself contributes little to ATP production in flooded roots of M. cajuputi. These physiological responses of M. cajuputi to flooding may have the advantages of surviving flooded conditions because they can avoid exhaustion of sugar and accumulation of ethanol, a toxic end product of alcohol fermentation.