Skip Navigation



JXB Advance Access published online on February 13, 2007

Journal of Experimental Botany, doi:10.1093/jxb/erl280
This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
58/6/1271    most recent
erl280v1
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Lee, B.-R.
Right arrow Articles by Kim, T.-H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Lee, B.-R.
Right arrow Articles by Kim, T.-H.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Lee, B.-R.
Right arrow Articles by Kim, T.-H.
Social Bookmarking
 Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author [2007]. Published by Oxford University Press [on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology]. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

RESEARCH PAPER

Peroxidases and lignification in relation to the intensity of water-deficit stress in white clover (Trifolium repens L.)

Bok-Rye Lee1, Kil-Yong Kim2,3, Woo-Jin Jung1, Jean-Christophe Avice4, Alain Ourry4 and Tae-Hwan Kim1,2,*

1Department of Animal Science, Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, College of Agriculture & Life Science, Chonnam National University, Buk-Gwangju, PO Box 205, Gwangju, 500-600, Korea
2Environmental-Friendly Agriculture Research Center (EFARC), College of Agriculture & Life Science, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Korea
3Department of Biological and Environmental Chemistry, College of Agriculture & Life Science, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Korea
4UMR, INRA-UCBN, Écophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et Nutritions NCS, Institut de Biologie Fondamentale et Appliquée, Université de Caen, F-14032 Caen Cedex, France

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: grassl{at}chonnam.ac.kr

Received 23 July 2006; Revised 18 November 2006 Accepted 20 November 2006


    Abstract
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
To investigate the lignification process and its physiological significance under drought-stressed conditions, the changes in enzymes responsible for lignification and the related physiological parameters were determined in white clover (Trifolium repens L.) leaves during 28 d of water deficit treatment. Water deficit gradually decreased leaf water potential ({Psi}w) to –2.33 MPa at day 28. For the first 14 d of water deficit, ascorbate peroxidase and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase were highly activated. Neither a change in the parameters symptomatic of oxidative stress nor growth inhibition was observed. The reduction of leaf biomass occurred from 21 d of water deficit treatment when {Psi}w was –2.27 MPa or less, and was concomitant with the increase of lipid peroxidation and lignin content. As {Psi}w decreased below –1.67 MPa from 14 d of water deficit, the enhanced activation of guaiacol peroxidase, coniferyl alcohol peroxidase, syringaldazine peroxidase, and benzidine peroxidase was involved in lignification rather than in protection of plant tissues against the oxidative damage. The data indicate that a high activation of lignifying enzymes during terminal stress may be a drought stress-induced injurious symptom, which leads to reduced forage growth and digestibility.

Key words: Drought, lignification, peroxidases, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, polyphenol oxidase, Trifolium repens


    Introduction
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
The incorporation of lignin into cell walls results in structural rigidity and durability of plant tissues. Lignin, therefore, is responsible for inhibition of expansion growth in crop plants and for providing barriers to pathogen infection. Peroxidases (EC 1.11.1.7 [EC] ) are the enzymes most directly involved in lignin biosynthesis. Monomeric precursors of lignin are enzymatically dehydrogenated in the cell wall to phenoxy radicals. These radicals polymerize spontaneously, yielding a complex net of cross-linking among monolignols, proteins, and polysaccarides (Iiyama et al., 1994). Peroxidases have been implicated in these cross-linking reactions (Lewis and Yamamoto, 1990; Polle et al., 1994). According to the isoelectric point (pI) values of peroxidases, they are classified as cationic and anionic isozymes. Some articles suggested that anionic peroxidases were involved in lignin polymerization (Christensen et al., 1998; EL Chen et al., 2002), but Quiroga et al. (2000) reported that both cationic and anionic peroxidases showed the highest catalytic efficiency when the substrate used was syringaldazine, an analogue of lignin monomer.

In addition, it has been postulated that the increase in cationic and anionic peroxidases is in part responsible for lignin synthesis and for the production and consumption of H2O2 required for the formation of phenoxy radicals (Mäder and Amberg-Fischer, 1982; EL Chen et al., 2002).

Moreover, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL; EC 4.3.1.5 [EC] ) is considered to be responsible for the conversion of L-phenylalanine to trans-cinnamic acid, a key intermediate in the pathway of phenolics and lignin (Boudet, 2000; Rivero et al., 2001). Polyphenol oxidase (PPO; EC 1.14.18.1 [EC] ) catalyses the oxidation of polyphenols and the hydroxylation of monophenols (Rivero et al., 2001) and lignification of plant cells. Recent studies have indicated that phenol-oxidizing enzymes may participate in response to the defence reaction and hypersensitivity in inducing resistance of plants to biotic and abiotic stress (Jouili and El Ferjani, 2003; Jung, 2004).

It has been well documented that biotic and abiotic stresses are responsible for the increase in cell wall lignification (Chazen and Neumann, 1994; Polle et al., 1994; Katerji et al., 1997) which would be associated with decreased plant growth, nutrient content, and digestibility (Guenni et al., 2002). However, little has been known about the changes in peroxidases, PPO, and PAL activity as related to growth response and lignification under a water-deficit stressed condition. Moreover, peroxidase activities were not determined with natural substrates, and it was not possible to attribute specific roles to different isozymes (Polle et al., 1994).

In this study, it was hypothesized that the lignification-related enzymes, alone or in combination, which are responsible for the stress tolerance mechanism would be activated with different kinetics in relation to the intensity of drought stress (e.g. the decrease in leaf water potential, {Psi}w). To test this hypothesis, the physiological relationships between drought-induced activation of lignification-related enzymes, growth, and some stress symptomatic parameters in response to the change in leaf water status were investigated. Moreover, the activities of peroxidases were determined with important substrates used for in vivo lignification, such as coniferyl alcohol, benzidine, guaiacol, or syringaldazine.


    Materials and methods
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Plant culture and sampling
Sods of fully vegetative white clover were transplanted into 3.0 l pots containing a mixture of sand and fritted clay. Plants were regularly watered to field capacity during 2 weeks of adaptation. Water-deficit stress was imposed by decreasing the volume of water supply per day. Daily irrigation of 50 ml or 5 ml of water per pot was applied to the well-watered (control) and water deficit treatment, respectively. Half the volume of the daily irrigation for each treatment was applied at 10.00 h and the remaining half at 16.00 h to minimize the considerable differences between {Psi}soil predawn and {Psi}soil midday that arise with once per day irrigation (Kim et al., 2004). Each treatment lasted for 28 d, and leaf tissues were sampled at intervals of 7 d just before the irrigation at 10.00 h. Tissue samples were immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen. Freeze-dried samples were finely ground and stored under vacuum for further analysis.

Measurements of leaf water parameters
{Psi}w was evaluated immediately as the petiole xylem pressure potential using a pressure chamber (PMS Instrument Co., Corvallis, OR, USA). Relative water content was determined gravimetrically as described previously (Kim et al., 2004). The measurements of leaf water status were carried out before dawn on the first or second fully expanded green leaf proximal to a stolon apex. The results of leaf water parameters are given as a pooled mean of three separate pots with three replicates in each.

Determination of H2O2, lipid peroxidation, lignin, and total phenol
H2O2 concentration was measured colorimetrically as described by Lin and Kao (2001a) using titanium sulphate. H2O2 concentration was calculated using the extinction coefficient 0.28 mM–1 cm–1 and was expressed as µmol g–1 tissue dry weight. The lipid peroxidation level was determined by measuring the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA), as described previously (Heath and Parker, 1968). For lignin determination, 3 g of fresh leaves were homogenized with 95% ethanol. The homogenate was centrifuged at 10 000 g for 5 min. The pellet was washed three times with 95% ethanol and twice with a mixture of ethanol and hexane (1:2, v/v). The material was allowed to air dry and its lignin level measured. The dried sample was washed once with 2 ml of acetyl bromide in acetic acid (1:3, v/v). Then 1 ml of acetyl bromide in acetic acid (1:3, v/v) was added to the pellet and incubated at 70 °C for 30 min. After cooling the mixture to room temperature, 0.9 ml of 2 M NaOH and 0.1 ml of 7.5 M hydroxylamine hydrochloride were added, and the volume was made up to 10 ml with acetic acid. After centrifugation at 1000 g for 5 min, the absorbance of the supernatant was measured against an NaOH blank at 280 nm (Lin and Kao, 2001b). The amount of lignin was calculated from a linear calibration curve (0–40 µg) built with commercial alkali lignin (Aldrich, Steinheim, Germany). Total phenol content was determined by the Folin–Ciocalteau method (Singleton and Rossi, 1965). The phenolic contents were estimated using a standard curve using gallic acid. Total phenolic content was expressed as gallic acid equivalents in mg g–1 fresh weight (FW).

Enzyme assays
For extraction of enzymes, fresh samples (0.5 g) were homogenized with 1.5 ml of 100 mM K-PO4 buffer solution (pH 7.0) containing 2 mM phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride, and centrifuged at 14 000 g at 4 °C for 20 min. The activities of peroxidases were measured using different substrates: ascorbate, guaiacol, coniferyl alcohol, and syringaldazine. Ascorbate peroxidase (APOX) activity was determined by measuring the decrease in absorbance at 290 nm (extinction coefficient of 2.8 mM –1 cm–1 for ascorbate) according to Chen and Asada (1989). The 1 ml reaction mixture contained 100 mM K·PO4 (pH 7.5), 0.5 mM ascorbate, 0.2 mM H2O2, and 20 µl of extraction solution. APOX activity was expressed as µmol ascorbate oxidized min–1 g–1 FW. For guaiacol peroxidase (GPOX) activity, the oxidation of guaiacol was estimated by measuring the increase in absorbance at 470 nm for 1 min and the activity was calculated using an absorption for tetraguaiacol (26.6 mM–1 cm–1) (Lee and Lin, 1995). The reaction mixture (3 ml) contained 8 mM guaiacol, 10 mM phosphate buffer (pH 6.4), and 0.1 ml of enzyme extract. The reaction was started by adding 2.75 mM H2O2. GPOX activity was expressed as µmol tetraguaiacol min–1 g–1 FW. Syringaldazine peroxidase (SPOX) activity was determined at 30 °C in a 1 ml reaction mixture containing 5 µM syringaldazine, 0.05 mM H2O2, and 100 mM sodium phosphate (pH 7.4), following the absorbance increase at 530 nm (27 mM–1 cm–1) as described by Quiroga et al. (2000). SPOX activity was expressed as µmol syringaldazine oxidized min–1 g–1 FW. Coniferyl alcohol peroxidase (CPOX) was followed by monitoring the decrease in absorbance at 260 nm (2.21 mM–1 cm–1), in a 1 ml reaction mixture containing 0.1 mM coniferyl alcohol and 0.5 mM H2O2 in 100 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) (Savidge and Udagama-Randeniya, 1992). CPOX activity was expressed as mmol coniferyl alcohol oxidized min–1 g–1 FW. PPO activity was determined according to the method of Siriphanich and Kader (1985). The 1 ml reaction mixture contained 20 µl of enzyme extract and 10 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0). Each sample was aerated for 2 min in a small test tube followed by the addition of catechol (Sigma) as the substrate at a final concentration of 20 mM. PPO activity was expressed as changes in absorbance at 420 nm min–1 g–1 FW. PAL activity was assayed by using an assay modified from D'Cunha et al. (1996). The reaction mixture contained 100 mM TRIS-HCl buffer (pH 8.5), 1 mM 2-mercaptoethanol, 15 mM L-phenylalanine, and 100 µl of enzyme extract. The reaction mixture was incubated at 30 °C for 15 min, and the reaction was terminated by the addition of 6 N HCl and then measured at 290 nm. Enzyme activity is expressed as µmol cinnamic acid h–1 g–1 FW.

Active staining of peroxidases and polyphenol oxidase
After extraction, protein samples were prepared in modified Laemmli buffer (Laemmli, 1970) without SDS and dithiothreitol in order to preserve the enzymatic activities. Protein extracts were not boiled prior to loading. Separation of proteins was performed using a stacking gel (5% polyacrylamide gel containing 0.5 M TRIS-HCl, pH 6.8 without SDS) and a separating gel of 10% or 12.5% polyacrylamide (containing 1.5 M TRIS-HCl, pH 8.8, without SDS). For active staining of GPOX after PAGE, the gel was soaked for 10 min in 50 mM TRIS-HCl buffer (pH 6.8) then incubated with 0.46% (v/v) guaiacol and 13 mM H2O2 in the same buffer at room temperature until red bands appeared, and subsequently fixed in water:methanol:acetic acid (6.5:2.5:1, by vol.) (Caruso et al., 1999). SPOX activity was detected by staining with 30 ml of syringaldazine solution dissolved in methanol (3.6 mg ml–1) and then mixed with dioxan (1:2, v/v), 2.5 mM H2O2, and 30 ml of 0.1 M Na-K phosphate buffer (pH 6.0) (Imberty et al., 1985). For active staining of benzidine peroxidase (BPOX), the gels were soaked in a 0.04% (w/v) benzidine solution (1 M Na-acetate) and 20 µl of 30% H2O2 were added. The incubation was performed at 30 °C in the dark for 1.5 h. After staining, gels were preserved in a 5% (v/v) glycerol and 7.5% (v/v) acetic acid solution (Cuypers et al., 2002). The PPO was detected by staining with 100 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) containing 10 mM DL-1,3-dihydroxy phenylalanine on a rotary shaker. After 3 h of incubation, dark bands indicative of PPO isozymes appeared in the gel (Mohammadi and Kazemi, 2002). For each kind of enzyme, two gels were made, one for molecular weight determination and one for enzyme detection.

Statistical analysis
A completely randomized design was used with three replicates for two water treatments and five sampling dates. Duncan's multiple range test or Student's t test was used to compare the means of separate replicates. Regression analysis was used to determine the significance of relationships among the measured variables. Unless otherwise stated, conclusions are based on differences between means significant at P ≤0.05.


    Results
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Leaf water potential and some physiological parameters
{Psi}w reached a minimum value of –2.33 MPa after 28 d of water deficit treatment, while no significant changes occurred in the control (Table 1). As compared with the control plant, a significant (P ≤0.05) increase (+22.7%) in H2O2 concentration occurred from day 21 of the water deficit treatment. The MDA concentration was not significantly affected over the first 14 d but then continuously increased until day 28 (+44.5%). A significant increase (+17.3%) in total phenol concentration was apparent within 7 d of water deficit treatment. The lignin concentration increased significantly from day 21 of water deficit treatment. A significant decline in dry mass (–20.9%) was observed from day 21.


View this table:
[in this window]
[in a new window]

 
Table 1. Changes in the leaf water potential and some physiological parameters of white clover under well-watered (control) or drought-stressed conditions for 28 d

 
Activities of lignification-related enzymes and their activity staining
GPOX activity was not significantly different between watering treatments for the first 7 d. However, GPOX activity in drought-stressed leaves subsequently increased to a 1.9-fold higher level compared with the control at day 28 (Fig. 1A). In water deficit plants, a rapid increase (+73%) in APOX occurred within the first 7 d, and then gradually decreased until day 28 (Fig. 1B). CPOX was significantly increased from 14 d of water deficit treatment (Fig. 1C). SPOX activity was induced 8.7-fold by water deficit treatment during 28 d (Fig. 1D). PAL activity in water deficit leaves rapidly increased for the first 7 d (+62%) and then decreased at day 14, but was maintained at a higher level than the control (Fig. 1E). A significant increase (+13%) in PPO in water deficit leaves was apparent at day 14, and it was maintained at the same level (Fig. 1F).


Figure 1
View larger version (15K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
[Download PowerPoint slide]
 
Fig. 1. Changes in the activities of (A) guaiacol peroxidase, GPOX; (B) ascorbate peroxidase, APOX; (C) coniferyl alcohol peroxidase, CPOX; (D) syringaldazine peroxidase, SPOX; (E) phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, PAL; and (F) polyphenol oxidase, PPO, in water-deficit stressed (filled circles) and well-watered control (open circles) leaves of white clover. Vertical bars indicate ±SE of the mean for n=3.

 
After PAGE, active staining of major enzymes involved in lignification was used to identify the expression of isozymes in leaves of white clover. The GPOX isozyme of 64.7 kDa was distinctly induced by drought stress (Fig. 2A). The SPOX isozyme of 51.4 kDa was commonly detected in both drought-stressed and control leaves, but the expression of this isozyme was much stronger in drought-stressed leaves (Fig. 2B). The BPOX isozyme of 48.9 kDa was active only in water deficit leaves, and the 30.3 kDa isozyme was much more strongly expressed in drought-stressed leaves (Fig. 2C). Active staining of PPO revealed that four isozymes (23.0, 25.5, 43.5, and 49.1 kDa) were actively induced by drought treatment (Fig. 2D).


Figure 2
View larger version (61K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
[Download PowerPoint slide]
 
Fig. 2. Activity staining of (A) guaiacol peroxidase, GPOX; (B) syringaldazine peroxidase, SPOX; (C) benzidine peroxidase, BPOX; and (D) polyphenol oxidase, PPO, in white clover leaves. Samples were taken on the day of treatment (C, control), and 14 d and 28 d after well-watered (W) or water deficit (S) treatment.

 
Activation of lignification-related enzymes in relation to the intensity of drought stress
To examine the response of peroxidases, PAL, and PPO to the intensity of drought stress, the relationships between {Psi}w and the activity of antioxidative enzymes were assessed. The activities of enzymes were normalized to the difference ({Delta}) between the values measured in drought-stressed and well-watered leaves (Fig. 3). The {Delta} GPOX activity was relatively low when {Psi}w was –1.50 MPa or more, but higher as the {Psi}w decreased below –1.67 MPa (Fig. 3A). The {Delta} APOX activity distinctly increased for the first 7 d ({Psi}w –1.44 MPa or more) and then declined with decreasing {Psi}w (Fig. 3B). As the {Psi}w decreased with developing water-deficit stress, the {Delta} CPOX and {Delta} SPOX increased (Fig. 3C, D). The {Delta} PAL activity rapidly increased when {Psi}w was –1.44 MPa or more (for the first 7 d in this study), but the relationship was less consistent as the {Psi}w decreased below this level (Fig. 3E). In response to water stress, the {Delta} PPO activity linearly increased until the {Psi}w was –1.67 MPa or more (during the first 14 d in this study) and it then remained at a similar level (Fig. 3F).


Figure 3
View larger version (18K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
[Download PowerPoint slide]
 
Fig. 3. Scatter plots for correlation between leaf water potential ({Psi}w) in the water-deficit stressed plants and activity of (A) guaiacol peroxidase, GPOX; (B) ascorbate peroxidase, APOX; (C) coniferyl alcohol peroxidase, CPOX; (D) syringaldazine peroxidase, SPOX; (E) phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, PAL; and (F) polyphenol oxidase, PPO, as affected by water deficit treatment. Values are normalized to the difference ({Delta}) between the enzyme activity measured in the water-stressed leaves and that in the well-watered (control) leaves. Numbers with each symbol indicate the days after treatment.

 
Relationships among physiological parameters and the activity of related enzymes
Linear correlations between the activity of antioxidant enzymes and H2O2, MDA, total phenol, lignin, and dry matter were assessed using the values measured in water deficit leaves (Table 2). For the early period of water deficit treatment (day 0 to day 14), all peroxidases examined in this study were significantly correlated with lipid peroxidation (MDA, except with APOX) and lignin. H2O2 concentration was significantly associated with CPOX and SPOX activities for day 0 to day 14, and with GPOX and CPOX for day 14 to day 28. The PAL activity was positively related to total phenol (P ≤0.05) and lignin (P ≤0.001) only for the early stress period.


View this table:
[in this window]
[in a new window]

 
Table 2. Linear correlations among the descriptive parameters of physiological state and the activity of lignification-related enzymes

 

    Discussion
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Drought stress was successfully induced in white clover leaves during this experiment, as the {Psi}w in drought-stressed leaves fell to a minimum value of –2.33 MPa at day 28 (Table 1). Biomass, H2O2, and MDA were not significantly affected by water deficit treatment for the first 7 d (Table 1). This indicates that the injurious symptoms of water deficit were not apparent until this period despite the significant decrease of {Psi}w. During the first 7 d when the {Psi}w was above –1.44 MPa, high activation of APOX and PAL by water deficit was clearly seen (Fig. 2B, E). This suggests that the ascorbate–glutathione pathway and phenylpropanoid metabolism were very highly induced during the early period of drought stress. It is well established that APOX has an active function in scavenging H2O2. These results are consistent with those of Foyer and Noctor (2003) who reported high activation of APOX and its role of scavenging H2O2 particularly during the early period of stress. On the other hand, phenylpropanoid metabolism was very active with high activation of PAL (Fig. 1), and total phenol content consequently increased after 7 d of water deficit treatment (Table 1). Rivero et al. (2001) showed a highly positive relationship between PAL activity and the concentration of soluble phenolics in tomato and water melon plants, and suggested that an accumulation of phenolic compounds in response to heat and cold stress would be attributed to the activation of the enzyme PAL. This would be beneficial to achieve acclimation and tolerance to water-deficit stress, since many kinds of plant phenolics have been considered to be the main lines of cell acclimation against stress in plants (Dixon et al., 1992; Rivero et al., 2001). Therefore, the data obtained from the mild water-stressed condition ({Psi}w –1.67 MPa or more in this study) suggest that the rise of APOX and PAL activation is one of the important facets of drought tolerance which permits preservation of membrane integrity and leaf growth (Table 1).

The observed increase in H2O2 and MDA concentration in drought-stressed plants from 14 d of water deficit treatment (Table 1) might indicate extensive lipid peroxidation of cell membrane components caused by active oxygen species produced by the oxidative stress (Sairam et al., 2002). Significant decreases in dry mass occurred following 21 d of drought treatment ({Psi}w –2.27 MPa or less), which coincided with the increase in lignin concentrations (Table 1). As far as the relationship between plant growth and particular isoforms of peroxidases is concerned, the inhibition of cell growth was accompanied by the enhancement of cell wall peroxidase isoforms (Bruyant et al., 1996; YA Chen et al., 2002). Cell wall stiffening can also control cell growth through the reduction of plasticity. This may be done by the activity of ionically or covalently bound cell wall peroxidases involved in the polymerization of phenolic monomers of suberin (Quiroga et al., 2000) and lignification (Boudet, 2000). In this study, after 14 d of water deficit when the {Psi}w was below –1.67 MPa, the observed increase in GPOX, CPOX, and SPOX (Fig. 1) was significantly correlated with the increase of lignin content (Table 2). Additionally, Fig. 2C shows that BPOX is also induced after 14 d of water deficit. Lignification is catalysed by the oxidative polymerization of monolignols such as coumaryl, coniferyl, and sinapyl alcohol (Boudet, 2000) in the presence of H2O2. As expected, at day 28, when the lignin content increased by 16% in water deficit leaves (Table 1), some isozymes of GPOX and SPOX were much more strongly expressed (Fig. 2). Polle et al. (1994) reported that guaiacol and coniferyl alcohol POX activities were spatially correlated with lignin production in spruce needles, and suggested a co-regulation of enzymes involved in production and polymerization of monolignols. In this study, under the water-deficit stressed condition, the increased GPOX, CPOX, and SPOX activities were correlated with the lignin content (Table 2). Moreover, the negative relationship between lignin content and dry mass (r=–0.805, P ≤0.01; data not shown) in water deficit leaves indicates that lignin accumulation is possibly responsible for the growth restriction caused by water-deficit stress. The isozymes of peroxidase participate in the modulation of cell wall properties during plant growth partly through catalysing the formation of covalent cross-links after oxidation of ester- and ether-bound phenolic acids and partly through the oxidative coupling of cinnamoyl alcohol moieties to generate lignin (Iiyama et al., 1994). The observed increases in peroxidase activities could reflect the modifications of mechanical properties of the cell wall, which, in turn, can be correlated with drought adaptation. A limitation of leaf growth observed from day 21 of water deficit treatment ({Psi}w –2.27 MPa or less) could be associated with lignin production which would be attributed to a high degree of GPOX, CPOX, and SPOX activities. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the apoplast can drive the oxidative cross-linking of cell wall components, such as hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins. The cross-linking of structural proteins in the wall has been proposed as a mechanism to restrict cell growth (Iiyama et al., 1994) and to limit cell elongation (De Cnodder et al., 2005). The activities of lignifying peroxidase, assayed using coniferyl alcohol and syringaldazine, were stimulated in response to copper-induced oxidative stress (Jouili and El Ferjani, 2003). In the same way, the growth reduction caused by copper (EL Chen et al., 2002) and by cadmium excess (Chaoui and El Ferjani, 2005) was closely associated with the increased activity of lignifying peroxidase. Lignification decreases the cell wall plasticity and consequently reduces cell expansion. Concerning the mechanism of drought-induced lignification, it has been reported that a loss in antioxidant capacities (e.g. a decrease in APOX activation from day 14; Fig. 1B) results in an intrinsic accumulation of H2O2 (Table 1), which would then act as a signalling molecule triggering secondary reactions: mechanical strengthening of cell walls including lignification. The major phase of lignification, which occurred after 21 d of water deficit treatment when the {Psi}w was –2.27 MPa or less, was correlated with an increase in GPOX, CPOX, and SPOX, which is thought to sustain peroxidase activity by production of H2O2. The increased lignin content caused by drought stress results in the limitation of forage production and utilization: reduction of plant biomass, digestibility, and dry matter intake (Guenni et al., 2002).

In this study, the increase in PPO activity significantly increased after 14 d of water stress treatment (Fig. 1F). The increased PPO activity was significantly correlated with total phenol content, but not with lignin (Table 2). In addition, CPOX and SPOX activities were also closely related to total phenol content, respectively, for the period day 14 to day 28 (P ≤0.001). The metabolism of phenolic compounds also includes the action of oxidative enzymes such as PPO and peroxidases, which catalyse the oxidation of phenols to quinines. Some studies have reported that the activity of these enzymes increases in response to different types of stress. More specifically, both enzymes have been related to the appearance of physiological injuries (Ruiz et al., 1998; Rivero et al., 2001; Jouili and El Ferjani, 2003).

Taken together, the data obtained from this study indicate that physiological parameters and the lignification-related enzymes closely respond to the decrease in {Psi}w as water-deficit stress develops. The kinetic analyses performed distinguish two distinct phases of drought stress development: (i) mild — endurance period (day 0 to day 14, {Psi}w –1.65 MPa or more), characterized by high activation of APOX and PAL which have a potential role in providing antioxidative defence, as evidenced by no significant changes in H2O2 and lipid peroxidation between water deficit and control leaves; and (ii) severe — injury period ({Psi}w –1.67 MPa or less), characterized by the enhanced activation of lignifying peroxidases (GPOX, CPOX, and SPOX) with a coincidental increase in lignin and lipid peroxidation leading to growth inhibition. In future investigations, it will be of interest to detect ROS accumulation using a different staining method, as recently described by De Cnodder et al. (2005). Such observations suggest that increased water deficit could induce lignification which is consequently responsible for reduction of forage biomass and digestibility in white clover leaves, where the antioxidative defence system seemingly fails to combat the oxidative damage.


    Acknowledgements
 
This work was supported by a Brain Korea 21 Grant funded by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development.


    Abbreviations
 
APOX, ascorbate peroxidase; BPOX, benzidine peroxidase; CPOX, coniferyl alcohol peroxidase; FW, fresh weight; GPOX, guaiacol peroxidase; MDA, malondialdehyde; PAL, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase; PPO, polyphenol oxidase; SPOX, syringaldazine peroxidase; {Psi}w, leaf water potential.


    References
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Boudet AM. (2000) Lignins and lignification: selected issues. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 38 81–96.[CrossRef][Web of Science]

Bruyant P, Schaumann A, Djiana R, Morvan C, Balange AP. (1996) Effect of light on total proteins and peroxidase activities in culture medium and in the cell-wall fraction of culture flax cells. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 34 417–423.[Web of Science]

Caruso C, Chilosi G, Caporale C, Leonardi L, Bertini L, Magro P, Buonocore V. (1999) Induction of pathogenesis-related proteins in germinating wheat seeds infected with Fusarium culmorum. Plant Science 140 87–97.[CrossRef]

Chaoui A and El Ferjani E. (2005) Effects of cadmium and copper on antioxidant capacities, lignification and auxin degradation in leaves of pea (Pisum sativum L.) seedlings. Comptes Rendus Biologies 328 23–31.[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline]

Chazen O and Neumann PM. (1994) Hydraulic signals from roots and rapid cell-wall hardening in growing maize (Zea mays L.) leaves are primary responses to polyethylene glycol-induced water deficits. Plant Physiology 104 1385–1392.[Abstract]

Chen EL, Chen YA, Chen LM, Liu ZH. (2002) Effect of copper on peroxidase activity and lignin content in Raphanus sativus. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 40 439–444.

Chen G and Asada K. (1989) Ascorbate peroxidase in tea leaves: occurrence of two isozymes and the differences in their enzymatic and molecular properties. Plant and Cell Physiology 30 987–998.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

Chen YA, Shin JW, Liu ZH. (2002) Effect of light on peroxidase and lignin synthesis in mungbean hypocotyls. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 40 33–39.[CrossRef][Web of Science]

Christensen JH, Bauw G, Welinder KG, Van Montagu M, Boerjan W. (1998) Purification and characterization of peroxidases correlated with lignification in poplar xylem. Plant Physiology 118 125–135.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

Cuypers A, Vangronsveld J, Clijsters H. (2002) Peroxidases in roots and primary leaves of Phaseolus vulgaris copper and zinc phytotoxcity: a comparison. Journal of Plant Physiology 159 869–876.[CrossRef][Web of Science]

D'Cunha GB, Satyanaraan V, Nair PM. (1996) Stabilization of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase containing Rhodotorula glutinis cells for the continuous synthesis of phenylalanine methyl ester. Enzyme and Microbial Technology 19 421–427.[CrossRef]

De Cnodder T, Vissenberg K, Van Der Straeten D, Verbelen JP. (2005) Regulation of cell length in the Arabidopsis thaliana root by the ethylene precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid: a matter of apoplastic reaction. New Phytologist 168 541–550.[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline]

Dixon RA, Choudhary AD, Dalkin D, et al. (1992) Molecular biology of stress-induced phenylpropanoid and isoflavonoid biosynthesis in alfalfa. In Stafford HA and Ibrahim RK (Eds.). Phenolic metabolism in plantsNew York Plenum Press pp. 91–138.

Foyer CH and Noctor G. (2003) Redox sensing and signaling associated with reactive oxygen in chloroplasts, peroxisomes and mitochondria. Physiologia Plantarum 119 355–364.[CrossRef]

Guenni O, Douglas M, Baruch Z. (2002) Responses to drought of five Brachiaria species. I. Biomass production, leaf growth, root distribution, water use and forage quality. Plant and Soil 243 229–241.[CrossRef][Web of Science]

Heath RL and Packer L. (1968) Photoperoxidation in isolated chloroplasts. I. Kinetics and stoichiometry of fatty acid peroxidation. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics 125 189–198.[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline]

Iiyama K, Lam TBT, Stone BA. (1994) Covalent cross-links in the cell wall. Plant Physiology 104 315–320.[Web of Science][Medline]

Imberty A, Goldberg R, Catesson AM. (1985) Isolation and characterization of Populus isoperoxidases involved in the last step of lignification. Planta 164 221–226.[CrossRef][Web of Science]

Jouili H and El Ferjani E. (2003) Changes in antioxidant and lignifying enzyme activities in sunflower roots (Helianthus annuus L.) stressed with copper excess. Comptes Rendus Biologies 326 639–644.[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline]

Jung S. (2004) Variation in antioxidant metabolism of young and mature leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana subjected to drought. Plant Science 166 459–466.[CrossRef]

Katerji N, van Hoorn JW, Hamdy A, Mastrorilli M, Mou Karzel E. (1997) Osmotic adjustment of sugar beets in response to soil salinity and its influence on stomatal conductance, growth and yields. Agricultural Water Management 34 57–69.[CrossRef][Web of Science]

Kim TH, Lee BR, Jung WJ, Kim KY, Avice JC, Ourry A. (2004) De novo protein synthesis in relation to ammonia and proline accumulation in water stressed white clover. Functional Plant Biology 31 847–855.[CrossRef][Web of Science]

Laemmli UK. (1970) Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature 227 680–685.[CrossRef][Medline]

Lee TM and Lin YH. (1995) Changes in soluble and cell wall-bound peroxidase activities with growth in anoxia-treated rice (Oryza sativa L.) coleoptiles and roots. Plant Science 106 1–7.[CrossRef]

Lewis NG and Yamamoto E. (1990) Lignin: occurrence, biogenesis and biodegradation. Annual Review of Plant Physiology and Plant Molecular Biology 41 455–496.[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline]

Lin CC and Kao CH. (2001a) Cell wall peroxidase activity, hydrogen peroxidase level and NaCl-inhibited root growth of rice seedling. Plant and Soil 230 135–143.[CrossRef][Web of Science]

Lin CC and Kao CH. (2001b) Cell wall peroxidase against ferulic acid, lignin, and NaCl-reduced root growth of rice seedlings. Journal of Plant Physiology 158 667–671.[CrossRef][Web of Science]

Mäder M and Amberg-Fischer V. (1982) Role of peroxidase in lignification of tobacco cells. Plant Physiology 70 1128–1131.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

Mohammadi M and Kazemi H. (2002) Changes in peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activities in susceptible and resistant wheat heads inoculated with Fusarium graminearum and induced resistance. Plant Science 162 491–498.[CrossRef]

Polle A, Otter T, Seifert F. (1994) Apoplastic peroxidases and lignification in needles of Norway spruce (Picea abies L.). Plant Physiology 106 53–60.[Abstract]

Quiroga M, Guerrero C, Botella MA, Barceló A, Amaya I, Medina MI, Alonso FJ, Forchetti SM, Tigier H, Valpuesta V. (2000) A tomato peroxidase involved in the synthesis of lignin and suberin. Plant Physiology 122 1119–1127.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

Rivero RM, Ruiz JM, García PC, López-Lefebre LR, Sánchez E, Romero L. (2001) Resistance to cold and heat stress: accumulation of phenolic compounds in tomato and watermelon plants. Plant Science 160 315–321.[Medline]

Ruiz JM, Bretones G, Baghour M, Ragala L, Belakbir A, Romero L. (1998) Relationship between boron and phenolic metabolism in tobacco leaves. Phytochemistry 48 269–272.[CrossRef][Web of Science]

Sairam RK, Rao KV, Srivastava GC. (2002) Differential response of wheat genotypes to long-term salinity in relation to oxidative stress, antioxidant activity and osmolyte concentration. Plant Science 163 1037–1046.[CrossRef]

Savidge R and Udagama-Randeniya P. (1992) Cell-wall-bound coniferyl alcohol oxidase associated with lignification in conifers. Phytochemistry 31 2959–2966.[CrossRef][Web of Science]

Singleton VL and Rossi JA. (1965) Colorimetry of total phenolic with phosphomolybdic–phosphotungstic acid reagents. American Journal of Enology and Viticulture 16 144–158.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

Siriphanich J and Kader AA. (1985) Effects of CO2 on cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase in relation to phenolic metabolism in lettuce tissue. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 110 333–335.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
ANN BOT (LOND)Home page
F. Paynel, A. Schaumann, M. Arkoun, O. Douchiche, and C. Morvan
Temporal regulation of cell-wall pectin methylesterase and peroxidase isoforms in cadmium-treated flax hypocotyl
Ann. Bot., December 1, 2009; 104(7): 1363 - 1372.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J Exp BotHome page
T. Jubany-Mari, S. Munne-Bosch, M. Lopez-Carbonell, and L. Alegre
Hydrogen peroxide is involved in the acclimation of the Mediterranean shrub, Cistus albidus L., to summer drought
J. Exp. Bot., January 1, 2009; 60(1): 107 - 120.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
58/6/1271    most recent
erl280v1
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Lee, B.-R.
Right arrow Articles by Kim, T.-H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Lee, B.-R.
Right arrow Articles by Kim, T.-H.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Lee, B.-R.
Right arrow Articles by Kim, T.-H.
Social Bookmarking
 Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?