Annals of Botany 85: 769-777, 2000
© 2000 Annals of Botany Company
Low Temperature-induced Accumulation of Protein is Sustained both in Root Meristems and in Callus in Winter Wheat but not in Spring Wheat
Plant Breeding Department, College of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modarres University, PO Box 14155-4838, Tehran, Iran Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, PO Box 915, Cardiff, CF10 3TL, UK
Received: 8 November 1999 ; Returned for revision: 6 January 2000 . Accepted: 2 February 2000
Plant growth was assessed and cellular protein per nuclear DNA amount measured in root meristems and in callus derived from embryos of a spring (‘Katepwa’) and a winter variety (‘Beaver’) of allohexaploid wheat exposed to low temperature treatment. The data obtained were used to test whether these genetically distinct varieties of wheat responded differentially to cold treatment. Seedlings were grown for 14 d at 20°C and then transferred to 4°C for 14 d before returning them to 20°C, or else were maintained continuously at 20°C. In winter wheat, root growth at 4°C was significantly greater over the first 7 d following transfer to 4°C compared with plants retained at 20°C, whereas in spring wheat it was reduced at 4°C. The pattern of accumulation of cellular protein for both root meristem cells and in callus cells was also generally enhanced at 4°C compared with 20°C in winter wheat but not in spring wheat. Thus, clear inter-varietal differences were established both for dry weight accumulation and cellular protein, and the callus data clearly show that the low-temperature-induced accumulation of protein is a cellular phenomenon not necessarily linked to development. The extent to which cold-shock proteins are a component of this low temperature-induced increase in cellular protein is discussed. Copyright 2000 Annals of Botany Company
Protein, spring wheat, temperature, tissue culture, Triticum aestivum, winter wheat