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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #192578
Title: DEHYDRIN-LIKE PROTEINS IN SOYBEAN SEEDS IN RESPONSE TO DROUGHT STRESS DURING SEED FILLING

Author
item SAMARAH, NEZAR - JORDAN UNIVERSITY
item MULLEN, RUSSELL - ISU
item CIANZIO, SYLVIA - ISU
item Scott, Marvin

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/3/2006
Publication Date: 9/8/2006
Citation: Samarah, N., Mullen, R., Cianzio, S., Scott, M.P. 2006. Dehydrin-like proteins in soybean seeds in response to drought stress during seed filling. Crop Science. 46:2141-2150.

Interpretive Summary: Drought stress is the most important factor limiting crop production world wide. If we understand how plants respond to environmental stresses, it may be possible to develop plants that are more productive in stressful conditions. This would result in increased crop production and greater food security, especially in areas where crops are grown in marginal environments. This will benefit people who depend on food produced in marginal environments. One way plants respond to drought stress conditions is by accumulating proteins called dehydrins. The function of these proteins is not clear. In this work, we sought to characterize the pattern of accumulation of these proteins in developing soybean seeds. Dehydrins accumulated earlier in drought-stressed seeds than in well-watered seeds, an observation that strengthens the link between dehyrdins and drought stress.

Technical Abstract: No information is available on the accumulation of dehydrin proteins during seed development and maturation of soybean in response to drought stress. The objective of this experiment was to study the accumulation of dehydrin-like proteins during seed development and maturation of soybean and whether drought stress and non-irrigation treatments induces the expression of these proteins earlier than that of well-watered plants. Two experiments were conducted; one was in the greenhouse and one was in the field. In the greenhouse experiment, three experiments were imposed on soybean plants after beginning of linear seed filling (R5): 1) well-watered (WW), gradual stress (GS) imposed prior to severe stress, and sudden severe stress (SS) treatments. In the field experiment, irrigation (I) and non-irrigation (NI) (rainfed) conditions were imposed from R5 to R8 (mature seeds). In the greenhouse experiment, dehydrin-like proteins (28 and 32 kDa) were detected at 18 days after R5 (R5.8) in developing seeds from drought-stressed plants, but not in seeds from the well-watered plants. In the mature seeds, dehydrin-like proteins (28, 32, and 34 kDa) were detected in seeds from tolerance.