Heliotropium thermophilum, an extreme heat tolerant species, promises plants about adaptation to high soil temperature conditions.

Abstract

To understand high temperature tolerance, Heliotropium thermophilum, a flowering plant thriving in a geothermal field with a soil temperature ranging between 55 and 65°C, was grown in controlled laboratory conditions and two different soil temperatures were applied to the plants. One of them was the control group (CT 25 ± 3°C) and the other was the high temperature group (HT 60 ± 4°C). Water potential, dry weight, cell membrane injury (CMI), lipid peroxidation, hydrogen peroxide, chlorophylls, carotenoids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, proline and total soluble sugar contents were measured. Contents of total soluble sugars, phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, proline were found to be higher in HT group than CT while CMI was opposite. Moreover, no difference was determined in water potential, dry weight, lipid peroxidation, total chlorophyll and carotenoids between CT and HT. H. thermophilum plants adapted to high temperature under laboratory conditions through changing membrane lipid saturation, accumulating osmotically active compounds to save water or increase its uptake and inducing antioxidants such as phenolic compounds to keep reactive oxygen species under control. In conclusion, this study showed that H. thermophilum plant was highly resistant to high soil temperature under optimized laboratory conditions. Moreover, a plant that can withstand 60°C for a long period of time up to 60days under laboratory conditions was reported for the first time.