The influence of mitochondria-targeted antioxidants, plastoquinone derivatives on the resistance of grain crops to water deficiency

Abstract

The article presents the results of a study of the influence of plastoquinone derivatives: 10-(6'-plastoquinonyl)decyltriphenylphosphonium (SkQ1) and 10-(6′-methylplastoquinonyl) decyltriphenylphosphonium (SkQ3) on the resistance of grain crops to soil moisture deficiency. The object of the study were seedlings of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivar “Sokol” and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar “Kalym”. The growth rates of plants were studied for 14 days under normal conditions and with a lack of moisture, pre-treated with 2.5 nm solutions of SkQ1 and SkQ3. It has been shown that treating seeds with solutions of SkQ1 and SkQ3 increases the growth rate of the studied crops under conditions of lack of moisture compared to the control. Also, in the roots and leaves of 14-day-old barley seedlings, an analysis of the transcriptional activity of the genes SodA1, SodB, GR, GST1, GST6, Cat1, Cat2, Apx1, encoding oxidative stress proteins, was carried out. It was shown that a decrease in soil moisture by 1.8 and 2.0 times compared to the control reduces to varying degrees the weight of roots and leaves in 14-day-old barley seedlings and increases the transcriptional activity of all studied genes in both leaves and roots. Treatment of seeds with solutions of SkQ1 and SkQ3 under conditions of moisture deficiency increases the dry weight of barley roots and leaves and reduces the transcriptional activity of the studied genes in the roots. Keywords: PLASTOQUINONE DERIVATIVES, SkQ1, SkQ3, MITOCHONDRIA-TARGETED ANTIOXIDANTS, ROS, SOIL MOISTURE DEFICIENCY, STABILITY, TRANSCRIPTIONAL GENE ACTIVITY