Phenotyping shows improved physiological traits and seed yield of transgenic wheat plants expressing the alfalfa aldose reductase under permanent drought stress

Abstract

Members of the aldo-keto reductase family including aldose reductases are involved in antioxidant defense by metabolizing a wide range of lipid peroxidation-derived cytotoxic compounds. Therefore, we produced transgenic wheat genotypes over-expressing the cDNA of alfalfa aldose reductase gene. These plants consequently exhibit 1.5-4.3 times higher detoxification activity for the aldehyde substrate. Permanent drought stress was generated in the greenhouse by growing wheat plants in soil with 20 % water capacity. The control and stressed plants were monitored by a semi automatic phenotyping platform providing computer-controlled watering, digital and thermal imaging. Calculation of biomass values was based on the correlation (R 2 = 0.7556) between fresh weight and green pixel-based shoot surface area. The green biomass production by plants of the three transgenic lines was 12-26-41 % higher than the non-transgenic plants' grown under water limitation. Thermal imaging of stressed nontransgenic plants indicated an elevation in the leaf temperature. The thermal status of transformants was similar at both normal and suboptimal water regime. In drought, the transgenic plants used more water during the growing season. The described phenotyping platform provided a comprehensive data set demonstrating the improved physiological condition of the drought stressed transgenic wheat plants in the vegetative growth phase. In soil with reduced water capacity two transgenic genotypes showed higher seed weight per plant than the control non-transgenic one. Limitation of greenhouse-based phenotyping in analysis of yield potential is discussed.

Response of Organ Structure and Physiology to Autotetraploidization in Early Development of Energy Willow Salix viminalis

“…Based on studies with various plant species (Tackenberg, 2007;Golzarian et al, 2011;Fehér-Juhász et al, 2014), green pixel values reflecting leaf/shoot surface area are assumed to be directly proportional to the green mass of plants and can be used for the comparison of different genotypes. Dormant stem cuttings were planted in soil-containing special pots used in a phenotyping platform operating under controlled greenhouse conditions.…”

“…As members of the European Plant Phenotyping Network, we have constructed a semiautomatic platform that was used previously for phenotyping aboveground organs of barley (Hordeum vulgare) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) plants (Cseri et al, 2013;Fehér-Juhász et al, 2014). Single dormant stem cuttings were planted into radio-tagged plexiglass columns with a mixture of 80% Terra peat soil and 20% sandy soil.…”

MODERN OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVING QUALITY OF BAKERY PRODUCTS VIA REALIZING THE BREAD WHEAT GENETIC POTENTIAL-BY-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS (review)

“…are essentially added by thermal image data processing [21] with a quantitative estimation of the leaf surface temperature. So, it was shown, that in drought transgenic wheat plants with the alfalfa aldose reductase gene have leaves temperature lower [22]. Infrared spectrum or hyperspectral images from drones or small airplanes [23] are fieldused, which allow to control water content in plants over large areas through monitoring of response to arid environment, watering or agrotechnologies.…”

Automated phenotyping of plant shoots using imaging methods for analysis of plant stress responses – a review

“…This enables a faster and more precise determination of the leaf area [ 12 - 14 ] and other parameters called projected area (Figure 2 ), or hull area in the case of monocots [ 15 , 16 ]. In general, non-invasive techniques of shoot growth determination have proven very reliable, and high correlations between the digital area and the shoot fresh, or dry weights, respectively, were reported in Arabidopsis , tobacco [ 17 ], cereals [ 18 , 19 ], and pea [ 20 ]. An example of a general shoot phenotyping protocol based on biomass estimation was reported by Berger et al [ 21 ].…”

“…For this reason, it is not unexpected that an increased thermal signal correlates with an increase in non-photochemical quenching as shown by Kaňa and Vass [ 39 ]. Given the foregoing, thermoimaging is a very suitable method for plant phenotyping [ 19 , 40 , 41 ]. Like CFIM, it uses cameras to measure spatial heterogeneity of heat emissions, usually from leaves; the heat is electromagnetic radiation in the infrared region, usually between 8 – 13 μm.…”