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 (86) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Johnson, J. Articles by Drew, M. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Johnson, J. Articles by Drew, M. C. Agricola Articles by Johnson, J. Articles by Drew, M. C.

Environmental and Stress Physiology

Hypoxic Induction of Anoxia Tolerance in Root Tips of Zea mays¹

Texas A&M University, Department of Horticultural Sciences, College Station, Texas 77843-2133

When root tips of fully aerobic, intact maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings are made anaerobic, viability normally is only 24 hours or less at 25°C. We find that viability can be extended to at least 96 hours if seedlings are given a hypoxic pretreatment for 18 hours by sparging the solution with 4% O₂ in nitrogen (v/v) before anoxia. Fully aerobic root tips (sparged with 40% O₂) had very low alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity (per gram root fresh weight), and the level remained low under anoxia. In hypoxically pretreated roots, however, high levels of ADH activity were induced, and activity rose further during the initial 24 hours of anoxia, and then remained high at about 20 times that of controls in 40% O₂. ADH activity in roots in solution sparged with air (21% O₂) was about three times that in 40% O₂. Improved viability of hypoxically pretreated root tips was associated with maintenance of a high energy metabolism (ATP concentration, total adenylates, and adenylate energy charge). Roots that were not pretreated lost 94% of the total adenylates and ATP at 24 hours of anoxia. The relation between induced ADH activity, energy metabolism, and improved anoxia-tolerance in acclimated maize root tips is discussed.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. L. Bologa, A. R. Fernie, A. Leisse, M. Ehlers Loureiro, and P. Geigenberger A Bypass of Sucrose Synthase Leads to Low Internal Oxygen and Impaired Metabolic Performance in Growing Potato Tubers Plant Physiology, August 1, 2003; 132(4): 2058 - 2072. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. C. SUBBAIAH and M. M. SACHS Molecular and Cellular Adaptations of Maize to Flooding Stress Ann. Bot., January 2, 2003; 91(2): 119 - 127. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. B. VARTAPETIAN, I. N. ANDREEVA, I. P. GENEROZOVA, L. I. POLYAKOVA, I. P. MASLOVA, Y. I. DOLGIKH, and A. YU. STEPANOVA Functional Electron Microscopy in Studies of Plant response and adaptation to Anaerobic Stress Ann. Bot., January 2, 2003; 91(2): 155 - 172. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. MOHANTY and B.-L. ONG Contrasting Effects of Submergence in Light and Dark on Pyruvate Decarboxylase Activity in Roots of Rice Lines Differing in Submergence Tolerance Ann. Bot., January 2, 2003; 91(2): 291 - 300. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				U. Schluter and R. M.M. Crawford Long-term anoxia tolerance in leaves of Acorus calamus L. and Iris pseudacorus L. J. Exp. Bot., November 1, 2001; 52(364): 2213 - 2225. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Kato-Noguchi Abscisic acid and hypoxic induction of anoxia tolerance in roots of lettuce seedlings J. Exp. Bot., November 1, 2000; 51(352): 1939 - 1944. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. C. Subbaiah, K. P. Kollipara, and M. M. Sachs A Ca2+-dependent cysteine protease is associated with anoxia-induced root tip death in maize J. Exp. Bot., April 1, 2000; 51(345): 721 - 730. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. W.P. Chang, L. Huang, M. Shen, C. Webster, A. L. Burlingame, and J. K.M. Roberts Patterns of Protein Synthesis and Tolerance of Anoxia in Root Tips of Maize Seedlings Acclimated to a Low-Oxygen Environment, and Identification of Proteins by Mass Spectrometry Plant Physiology, February 1, 2000; 122(2): 295 - 318. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				A. W. Sowa, S. M. G. Duff, P. A. Guy, and R. D. Hill Altering hemoglobin levels changes energy status in maize cells under hypoxia PNAS, August 18, 1998; 95(17): 10317 - 10321. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Ricard, T. V. Toai, P. Chourey, and P. Saglio Evidence for the Critical Role of Sucrose Synthase for Anoxic Tolerance of Maize Roots using a Double Mutant Plant Physiology, April 1, 1998; 116(4): 1323 - 1331. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				Y. Zeng, Y. Wu, W. T. Avigne, and K. E. Koch Differential Regulation of Sugar-Sensitive Sucrose Synthases by Hypoxia and Anoxia Indicate Complementary Transcriptional and Posttranscriptional Responses Plant Physiology, April 1, 1998; 116(4): 1573 - 1583. [Abstract] [Full Text]