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Genetic Manipulation of Proline Accumulation Influences the Concentrations of Other Amino Acids in Soybean Subjected to Simultaneous Drought and Heat Stress

Livia Simon-Sarkadi,*^† Gábor Kocsy,^‡ Ágnes Várhegyi,^† Gábor Galiba,^‡ and Jacoba A. de Ronde^§

Department of Biochemistry and Food Technology, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, H-1521 Budapest, P.O.B. 91, Hungary, Agricultural Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-2462 Martonvsr, P.O.B. 19, Hungary, and Agricultural Research CouncilRoodeplaat Vegetable and Ornamental Plant Institute, Private bag X293, Pretoria 0001, South Africa

J. Agric. Food Chem., 2005, 53 (19), pp 7512–7517

DOI: 10.1021/jf050540l

Publication Date (Web): August 23, 2005

Corresponding author. Phone: +36 1 463 3862. Fax: +36 1 463 3855. E-mail: sarkadi@mail.bme.hu.

†

Budapest University of Technology and Economics.

‡

Agricultural Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

Agricultural Research Council.

Abstract

The effect of simultaneous drought and heat stress on free amino acid levels was compared in wild type and transgenic soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr cv Ibis) plants transformed with the cDNA coding for the last enzyme of Pro biosynthesis, l-Δ¹-pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (EC 1.5.1.2), in sense and antisense directions. The most rapid increase in Pro content was found in the sense transformants that exhibited the least water loss, while the slowest elevation of Pro levels was detected in the antisense transformants that exhibited the greatest water loss during stress. Correspondingly, the level of the Pro precursors Glu and Arg was higher in sense transformants and lower in antisense ones compared to the wild type plants during the initial part of the stress. Interestingly, genetic manipulation of Pro levels also affected the stress-induced changes in the concentration of several other amino acids, which indicates the coordinated regulation of their metabolic pathways.

Keywords: Drought; free amino acid; Glycine max; heat; proline; soybean.

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Published In Issue September 21, 2005
Received for review March 10, 2005. Revised manuscript received June 9, 2005. Accepted June 13, 2005. This work was supported by the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (OTKA T037280 and M28074), the Hungarian Ministry of Education (TéT DAK 11/99), and the National Research Foundation of South Africa.