Abstract
A comprehensive understanding of the physiological responses of plants to extreme temperatures is essential for future strategies for plant improvement. Obvious advantages can result from the study of highly adapted plant species, such as the model tree Populus euphratica Olivier that naturally thrives under extreme temperatures, saline soils, and drought. The present paper addresses the issue of P. euphratica thermotolerance using a cell suspension model system. P. euphratica suspended cells were subjected to a range of temperatures (from 5 up to 75°C) for 20 min, and cultures were evaluated for cell viability and biomass content at specific time points. The results have shown that cell viability was only affected after a temperature stress higher than 40°C, although in these conditions it was observed that a cell growth increases after the recovery period. In contrast, a total decline in cell viability was observed in suspended cells treated at 50°C or higher temperatures, which did not show growth recovery capacity. Therefore, the known natural tolerance of P. euphratica to thermal stress was not observable at the cellular level. The greater susceptibility to high temperatures in suspended cells as compared to field plants suggests that high thermotolerance can only be achieved when cells are integrated into a tissue.
Highlights
Plants often grow under unfavorable conditions that extensively alter their development and productivity
Obvious advantages can result from the study of highly adapted plant species, such as the model tree Populus euphratica Olivier that naturally thrives under extreme temperatures, saline soils, and drought
The results have shown that cell viability was only affected after a temperature stress higher than 40◦C, in these conditions it was observed that a cell growth increases after the recovery period
Summary
Plants often grow under unfavorable conditions that extensively alter their development and productivity One such environmental challenge is exposure to adverse temperatures, which can significantly affect many essential metabolic processes and disrupt an extensive range of cellular components. Among Populus species, P. euphratica Olivier shows a remarkable survival capability, presenting high growth yields when facing high soil salinity, extreme temperatures (−45◦C to +54◦C), and drought [6]. Such conditions are typically found in semiarid areas over a longitudinal extent that ranges from China to Spain and from south Kenya to Kazakhstan, where P. euphratica is naturally distributed [7]. Despite being known as a plant tolerant to extreme temperatures in its natural habitat, ISRN Forestry the biological mechanisms behind these observations remain largely unknown
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