© 2007 Heron Publishing—Victoria, Canada
Early drought-induced changes to the needle proteome of Norway spruce
Constanze Blödner (1), Andrzej Majcherczyk (2), Ursula Kües (2) and Andrea Polle (1, 3)
1. Forstbotanik und Baumphysiologie, Institut für Forstbotanik, Georg-August Universität Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077 Göttingen,
Germany / 2. Molekulare Holzbiotechnologie, Institut für Forstbotanik, Georg-August Universität Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077 Göttingen,
Germany / 3. Corresponding author (apolle@gwdg.de) / Received March 14, 2006; accepted November 5, 2006; published online July 3, 2007
Summary
To elucidate early drought responses in needles of Norway spruce (Picea abies (Karst.) L.), we subjected 1-year-old seedlings to gradual desiccation for 6 weeks. Four weeks of drought treatment caused
a small but significant decrease in photosystem II quantum yield of light-adapted needles (φa) compared with that of well-watered controls. Six weeks of drought treatment reduced φa and the photosystem II quantum yield of dark-adapted needles (φ) by 50 and 8%, respectively, and reduced shoot water potential
by 0.7 MPa, but had no measurable effect on needle relative water content. After two weeks of drought treatment, and before
there was a discernible effect of drought on φ or a statistically significant effect on shoot water potential, needles were
analyzed for changes in protein composition. Five out of several hundred detected proteins in needles of drought-treated plants
showed consistent changes compared with control leaves. The proteins were identified by LC-MS/MS as components of the oxygen-evolving
complex (oxygen evolving enhancer protein 2), ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxgenase large subunit, and one protein
of unknown function, whose mRNA was found in a previous screen of wound- and methyl-jasmonate-induced bark proteins.
Keywords:
2D-electrophoresis, chlorophyll fluorescence, oxygen evolving enhancer protein, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase.
