Plant Diversity ›› 2010, Vol. 32 ›› Issue (S17): 89-96.

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Ethylene Signal is Involved in Regulating Arabidopsis Response to Drought Stress Stimulated by PEG

 YANG  Lei-1, SUN  Ping-2, LIN  Ying-Chao-2, TANG  Zhong-Hua-2   

  1. 1 Shanghai Chenshan Plant Science Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201602, China;
    2 Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, the Ministry of Education of China, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
  • Online:2010-12-25 Published:2011-01-28
  • Supported by:

    国家自然科学基金青年科学基金项目(31000176)

Abstract:

Arabidopsis ein25, ein31 and ctr11 are mutants in key genes of ethylene signaling transduction pathway. ein25 is absolutely insensitive to ethylene, ein31 is partly insensitive to ethylene, while ctr11 is constitutive triple response mutant. The morphological observation and measurement showed the rosette growth, shoot biomass and leaf area under PEG stress were restrained more significant in ethylene insensitive mutants ein25 and ein31 than in Col0 and ctr11. From the results, we can conclude that ethylene signal plays a positive role in regulating Arabidopsis growth and morphology under PEG stress. We also determined the physiological status in Arabidopsis under PEG stress. It was indicated that ethylene signal could regulate the plant to reduce the water potential to keep the osmotic potential, resulting in retaining water and enhance the drought tolerance. In the response of ethylene signal to drought, there was more osmotic modulatory substance soluble sugar. And the substance synthesized to a high level in fine ethylene signal pathway plants under PEG stress. We can conclud that ethylene signal can positively mediate the plant to adapt drought stress.

Key words: Ethylene, Signaling transduction, Drought stress, PEG

CLC Number: