This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Web of Science (133) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Flores, H. E. Articles by Galston, A. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Flores, H. E. Articles by Galston, A. W. Agricola Articles by Flores, H. E. Articles by Galston, A. W.

Articles

Osmotic Stress-Induced Polyamine Accumulation in Cereal Leaves ¹

I. Physiological Parameters of the Response

ARCO Plant Cell Research Institute, Dublin, California 94568, Department of Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511

Putrescine and spermidine accumulate in cereal cells and protoplasts exposed to various osmotica (sorbitol, mannitol, proline, betaine, or sucrose). The response is fast (1-2 hour lag), massive (50- to 60-fold increase in putrescine), and is not due to release of putrescine from a bound form or to conversion from spermidine. It rather involves the activation of the biosynthetic pathway mediated by arginine decarboxylase (ADC; EC 4.1.1.19) (Flores and Galston 1982 Science 217: 1259). Polyamine accumulation and the rise in ADC activity in osmotically stressed tissue are prevented by ADC inhibitors (-difluoromethylarginine, D-arginine, and L-canavanine) but are not affected by -difluoromethylornithine and methylornithine, inhibitors of the alternative putrescine biosynthetic enzyme ornithine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.17). Putrescine accumulation by oat and corn leaves is maximal in solutions only slightly hyperosmotic (0.4 molar). The stress response, which declines with leaf age, is completely prevented by cycloheximide (10 to 50 micrograms per milliliter) when added during the first hour of exposure to osmoticum, and partially by transcription inhibitors (cordycepin, Actinomycin D, 5 to 20 micrograms per milliliter). Oat seedlings allowed to wilt by withholding water also show a rise in polyamine titer and ADC activity. This response is not readily reversible upon rewatering.

¹ Supported by National Institutes of Health Grant No. AG 02742 to A. W. Galston, and American Cancer Society Summer Fellowship to H. E. Flores.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				N. N. Tun, C. Santa-Catarina, T. Begum, V. Silveira, W. Handro, E. I. S. Floh, and G. F. E. Scherer Polyamines Induce Rapid Biosynthesis of Nitric Oxide (NO) in Arabidopsis thaliana Seedlings Plant Cell Physiol., March 1, 2006; 47(3): 346 - 354. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Capell, L. Bassie, and P. Christou Modulation of the polyamine biosynthetic pathway in transgenic rice confers tolerance to drought stress PNAS, June 29, 2004; 101(26): 9909 - 9914. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Provan, L.-M. Aksland, C. Meyer, and C. Lillo Deletion of the Nitrate Reductase N-Terminal Domain Still Allows Binding of 14-3-3 Proteins but Affects Their Inhibitory Properties Plant Physiology, June 1, 2000; 123(2): 757 - 764. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				H. Yamakawa, H. Kamada, M. Satoh, and Y. Ohashi Spermine Is a Salicylate-Independent Endogenous Inducer for Both Tobacco Acidic Pathogenesis-Related Proteins and Resistance against Tobacco Mosaic Virus Infection Plant Physiology, December 1, 1998; 118(4): 1213 - 1222. [Abstract] [Full Text]