Importance of N Source on Heat Stress Tolerance Due to the Accumulation of Proline and Quaternary Ammonium Compounds in Tomato Plants

Abstract

Proline and quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC), in addition to being N-rich, are known to accumulate in plants under different environmental stress conditions. The accumulation of N-rich compounds in plants has been shown to confer stress resistance. The aim of our work is two-fold: first, to study the influence of temperature on proline, QAC, and choline metabolism in tomato leaves; and second, to investigate the relationship between N source applied (NO₃ ^- or NH₄ ⁺) and thermal stress resistance in these plants. To do this, experiments were conducted at three different temperatures (10 °C, 25 °C, 35 °C); at each temperature half of the plants received NO₃ ^-, and the other half received NH₄ ⁺. At 35 °C the plants had the lowest biomass production with respect to 25 °C (optimal temperature) and 10 °C (cold stress), suggesting that tomato plants were most affected by heat stress. At 35 °C, there were also high levels of choline and proline due to the activation of Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS) and ornithine aminotransferase (OAT), and simultaneous inhibition of proline dehydrogenase (PDH) and proline oxidase (PO). However, plants with NH₄ ⁺ as the N source exhibited reduced growth with respect to the plants fed with NO₃ ^-. This is interesting because, under heat stress (35 °C), biomass production, as well as proline and choline accumulation, in NH₄ ⁺ fed plants was higher than in NO₃ ^- fed plants. From this, we concluded that tomato plants fed with NH₄ ⁺ as the N source show higher tolerance to heat stress (35 °C) than plants fed with NO₃ ^-.

Key words

Choline - heat stress - Lycopersicon esculentum L. - N source - proline - quaternary ammonium compounds

References

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Editor: J. T. M. Elzenga