Abstract
This research aimed to characterize the tolerance to flooding and alterations in pectic and hemicellulose fractions from mesocotyl of maize tolerant to flooding when submitted to hypoxia. In order to characterize tolerance seeds from maize cultivars Saracura BRS-4154 and BR 107 tolerant and sensitive to low oxygen levels, respectively, were set to germinate. Plantlet survival was evaluated during five days after having been submitted to hypoxia. After fractionation with ammonium oxalate 0.5% (w/v) and KOH 2M and 4M, Saracura BRS-4154 cell wall was obtained from mesocotyl segments with different damage intensities caused by oxygen deficiency exposure. The cell wall fractions were analyzed by gel filtration and gas chromatography, and also by Infrared Spectrum with Fourrier Transformation (FTIR). The hypoxia period lasting three days or longer caused cell lysis and in advanced stages plant death. The gelic profile from pectic, hemicellulose 2M and 4M fractions from samples with translucid and constriction zone showed the appearance of low molecular weight compounds, similar to glucose. The main neutral sugars in pectic and hemicellulose fractions were arabinose, xilose and mannose. The FTIR spectrum showed a gradual decrease in pectic substances from mesocotyl with normal to translucid and constriction appearance respectively.
Highlights
In Brazil, there are approximately 28 million hectares of swamp land with great agricultural potential
The aims of this study were to characterize the flooding tolerance and some cell wall fractions alterations from a mesocotyl region of maize cultivar Saracura BRS-4154 submitted to hypoxia
Maize caryopsis from Saracura BRS-4154 and BR 107 cultivars tolerant and susceptible, respectively, to oxygen deficiency were washed with 0.5% clorox (v/v) by 10 min, put to germinate in rolled paper previously treated with 0.5% Captan during four days, at 27oC in the dark
Summary
In Brazil, there are approximately 28 million hectares of swamp land with great agricultural potential. In Brazil, the Embrapa-Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Milho e Sorgo (CNPMS) developed the Saracura BRS-4154, which is a maize variety with a broad genetic basis, obtained after nine cycles of massal selection under high moisture conditions in the soil. This genetic material showed to be one of the best to be used in areas susceptible to flooding. This variety has been recommended to flooding areas, the mechanism that confers the high degree of tolerance to oxygen deficient level in the soil havent been studied yet
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