Evidence for within-species transition between drought response strategies in Nicotiana benthamiana
© 2024 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2024 New Phytologist Foundation.
| Veröffentlicht in: | The New phytologist. - 1979. - (2024) vom: 11. Juni |
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| 1. Verfasser: | |
| Weitere Verfasser: | , , , , , , , , , |
| Format: | Online-Aufsatz |
| Sprache: | English |
| Veröffentlicht: |
2024
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| Zugriff auf das übergeordnete Werk: | The New phytologist |
| Schlagworte: | Journal Article Nicotiana benthamiana arid habitats cuticular wax composition drought responses gene expression profiles phenotypic responses physiological responses water deprivation |
| Zusammenfassung: | © 2024 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2024 New Phytologist Foundation. Nicotiana benthamiana is predominantly distributed in arid habitats across northern Australia. However, none of six geographically isolated accessions shows obvious xerophytic morphological features. To investigate how these tender-looking plants withstand drought, we examined their responses to water deprivation, assessed phenotypic, physiological, and cellular responses, and analysed cuticular wax composition and wax biosynthesis gene expression profiles. Results showed that the Central Australia (CA) accession, globally known as a research tool, has evolved a drought escape strategy with early vigour, short life cycle, and weak, water loss-limiting responses. By contrast, a northern Queensland (NQ) accession responded to drought by slowing growth, inhibiting flowering, increasing leaf cuticle thickness, and altering cuticular wax composition. Under water stress, NQ increased the heat stability and water impermeability of its cuticle by extending the carbon backbone of cuticular long-chain alkanes from c. 25 to 33. This correlated with rapid upregulation of at least five wax biosynthesis genes. In CA, the alkane chain lengths (c. 25) and gene expression profiles remained largely unaltered. This study highlights complex genetic and environmental control over cuticle composition and provides evidence for divergence into at least two fundamentally different drought response strategies within the N. benthamiana species in < 1 million years |
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| Beschreibung: | Date Revised 12.06.2024 published: Print-Electronic Citation Status Publisher |
| ISSN: | 1469-8137 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/nph.19898 |