Relationship Between Dehydrin Accumulation and Winter Survival in Winter Wheat and Barley Grown in the Field

Abstract

Low temperatures represent a crucial environmental factor determining winter survival (WS) of barley and wheat winter-type varieties. In laboratory experiments, low temperatures induce an active plant acclimation response, which is associated with an enhanced accumulation of several stress-inducible proteins including dehydrins. Here, dehydrin accumulations in sampled wheat (WCS120 protein family, or WCS120 and WDHN13 transcripts) and barley (DHN5 protein) varieties grown in two locations for two winters were compared with the variety WS evaluated by a provocation wooden-box test. A high correlation between dehydrin transcripts or protein relative accumulation and variety WS score was found only in samples taken prior vernalization fulfillment, when high tolerant varieties accumulated dehydrins earlier and to higher level than less tolerant varieties, and the plants have not yet been vernalized. After vernalization fulfillment, the correlation was weak, and the apical development indicated that plants reached double ridge (DR) in barley or stayed before DR in wheat. Dehydrin proteins and transcripts can be thus used as reliable markers of wheat or barley variety winter hardiness in the field conditions; however, only at the beginning of winter, when the plants have not yet finished vernalization. In wheat, a higher correlation was obtained for the total amount of dehydrins than for the individual dehydrin proteins.HIGHLIGHTSMore tolerant winter-type wheat and barley plants reveal higher threshold induction temperatures for dehydrin accumulation in comparison to less tolerant varieties. Thus, more tolerant winter cereals have higher dehydrin levels than the less tolerant ones upon the same ambient temperature in November samplings.A significant correlation between dehydrin transcript/protein accumulation and winter survival was found in both winter wheat and winter barley plants in the field conditions, but only prior to vernalization fulfillment.

COR/LEA Proteins as Indicators of Frost Tolerance in Triticeae: A Comparison of Controlled Versus Field Conditions

“…The studied COR/LEA (WCS120, WCOR410, WCOR14) transcript levels decreased throughout winter except for WCOR14 transcript in winter Manitou; however, significant alterations among the different seasons were observed which corresponded with fluctuations in soil temperature at crown depth. In contrast, in maritime and transitional zones such as Italy or Czechia where freezing periods are interspersed by relatively long periods of above-zero temperatures during winter (freeze-thaw cycles) when partial cold deacclimation occurs, relatively low levels of COR/LEA/dehydrin proteins were found in plant tissues in later phasesof winter (January, February) and these levels did not correspond with the plant freezing tolerance[29,67] since plants are already vernalized at this time and cannot efficiently re-acclimate after a period of deacclimation.…”

“…Due to versatility in their structure responding to cell hydration status, dehydrins can adopt multiple molecular functions corresponding to cell hydration status and interaction partners which include not only proteins but also membrane surfaces [15,16]. Studies dealing with dehydrin molecular functions under cold reported their chaperone, cryoprotective, antifreeze, ion-binding and radical scavenging functions for some cold-responsive dehydrins [14,19]; for more details on dehydrin molecular structure and functions, see Kosová et al (2019) [20]. In winter wheat and barley plants, the major cold-inducible dehydrins belong to Kn structural group harboring multiple K-segments in their molecules (K6 in wheat WCS120 while K9 in barley DHN5) and revealing significant cryoprotective activities [18,19].…”

“…However, to be utilized in breeding, field trials are necessary. The results of field experiments indicated that dehydrins could be used as indicators of plant winter survival but only under certain conditions [29].…”

“…Winter hardiness thus represents a complex phenotypic trait which is usually determined as percentage of plant winter survival. Since different dehydrin proteins reveal a differential response to various environmental stresses it is thus evident that a sum of various dehydrin proteins detected in the plant samples reveals a better correlation with plant winter survival than a single dehydrin protein[29].Preprints (www.preprints.org) | NOT PEER-REVIEWED | Posted: 26 February 2021 doi:10.20944/preprints202102.0609.v1 Basically, two major types of temperate climate can be distinguished: a continental climate which is characterized by continuous freezing temperatures throughout the whole winter, and a maritime /transitional type of climate which is characterized by fluctuations between freezing and above-zero temperatures that is associated with freezing/thawing cycles of water as well as mechanical stress (damage) caused by ice crystals, soil heaving, etc. Periods of low temperatures are thus interspersed by periods of relatively warm temperatures inducing deacclimation in overwintering plants.…”

Breeding drought-resistant crops: G×E interactions, proteomics and pQTLS

“…Recently, studies in plants have shown that qualitative or quantitative changes which some marker proteins undergo in response to stress reveal a correlation with the degree of stress tolerance. As an example, our studies on Kn-type dehydrins reveal a correlation between the relative abundance of the proteins and acquired frost tolerance expressed as the lethal temperature for 50% of the sample (LT50) in winter wheat and barley cultivars subjected to cold acclimation treatment (Kosová et al , 2008, 2013; Vítámvás et al , 2010, 2019). However, as with other quantitative traits, the quantitative changes in relative abundance of marker proteins are determined by G×E interactions which limit their application in breeding programmes.…”