Abstract
Drought is a major abiotic stress affecting all levels of plant organization and, in particular, leaf elongation. Several experiments were designed to study the effect of water deficits on maize (Zea mays) leaves at the protein level by taking into account the reduction of leaf elongation. Proteomic analyses of growing maize leaves allowed us to show that two isoforms of caffeic acid/5-hydroxyferulic 3-O-methyltransferase (COMT) accumulated mostly at 10 to 20 cm from the leaf point of insertion and that drought resulted in a shift of this region of maximal accumulation toward basal regions. We showed that this shift was due to the combined effect of reductions in growth and in total amounts of COMT. Several other enzymes involved in lignin and/or flavonoid synthesis (caffeoyl-CoA 3-O-methyltransferase, phenylalanine ammonia lyase, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, and several isoforms of S-adenosyl-l-methionine synthase and methionine synthase) were highly correlated with COMT, reinforcing the hypothesis that the zone of maximal accumulation corresponds to a zone of lignification. According to the accumulation profiles of the enzymes, lignification increases in leaves of control plants when their growth decreases before reaching their final size. Lignin levels analyzed by thioacidolysis confirmed that lignin is synthesized in the region where we observed the maximal accumulation of these enzymes. Consistent with the levels of these enzymes, we found that the lignin level was lower in leaves of plants subjected to water deficit than in those of well-watered plants.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
COMT isoforms accumulated mainly 10 to 20 cm from maize leaf insertion.
- Organ / stage
- leafe0
- Gene
- caffeic acid/5-hydroxyferulic 3-O-methyltransferase (COMT)e0
- Outcome
- accumulated mostly at 10 to 20 cm from the leaf point of insertione0
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“two isoforms of caffeic acid/5-hydroxyferulic 3-O-methyltransferase (COMT) accumulated mostly at 10 to 20 cm from the leaf point of insertion”
t0“Maize Leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
Drought shifted the maximal COMT accumulation region toward the leaf base.
- Treatment
- droughte0
- Outcome
- region of maximal accumulatione0
- Direction
- shifte0
- Qualifier
- toward basal regionse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“drought resulted in a shift of this region of maximal accumulation toward basal regions.”
t0“Maize Leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
The shift reflected reduced growth and reduced total COMT.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“this shift was due to the combined effect of reductions in growth and in total amounts of COMT.”
t0“Maize Leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
Several lignin or flavonoid synthesis enzymes were highly correlated with COMT.
- Gene
- caffeoyl-CoA 3-O-methyltransferase, phenylalanine ammonia lyase, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, and several isoforms of S-adenosyl-l-methionine synthase and methionine synthasee0
- Outcome
- highly correlated with COMTe0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Several other enzymes involved in lignin and/or flavonoid synthesis (caffeoyl-CoA 3-O-methyltransferase, phenylalanine ammonia lyase, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, and several isoforms of S-adenosyl-l-methionine synthase and methionine synthase) were highly correlated with COMT”
t0“Maize Leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
Lignification rose as control leaves slowed growth before full size.
- Organ / stage
- leavese0
- Outcome
- lignificatione0
- Direction
- increasese0
- Qualifier
- when their growth decreases before reaching their final sizee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“lignification increases in leaves of control plants when their growth decreases before reaching their final size.”
t0“Maize Leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
Lignin synthesis occurred in the region of maximal enzyme accumulation.
- Outcome
- lignin is synthesized in the region where we observed the maximal accumulation of these enzymese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“lignin is synthesized in the region where we observed the maximal accumulation of these enzymes.”
t0“Maize Leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
Water deficit lowered leaf lignin relative to well-watered plants.
- Organ / stage
- leavese0
- Treatment
- water deficite0
- Outcome
- lignin levele0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- well-watered plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the lignin level was lower in leaves of plants subjected to water deficit than in those of well-watered plants.”
t0“Maize Leaves”
The same questions in other papers
drought · molecular: metabolites · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
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