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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Sugarbeet and Potato Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #209509
Title: Involvement of ABA in potato tuber wound-healing

Author
item Lulai, Edward
item Suttle, Jeffrey

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/26/2007
Publication Date: 2/1/2008
Citation: Lulai, E.C., Suttle, J.C. 2008. Involvement of ABA in potato tuber wound-healing. [Abstract.] American Journal Poato Research. 85:18-19.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Rapid suberization of tubers wounded during harvest, handling and seed cutting is crucial in protecting against infections, dehydration and defect development. Research at this laboratory is directed at determining the biological factors that regulate wound-healing and which may facilitate the development of technologies to hasten these processes. The objective of this research was to determine the involvement of abscisic acid (ABA) in the regulation of wound-induced suberization and tuber water vapor loss (dehydration). LC-MS analysis showed little variation in ABA content throughout the tuber; however, wounding induced changes in these concentrations. ABA content in wound-healing tuber discs decreased 3 to 6 h after wounding, reached a minimum by 24 h, and then increased from the third through the seventh day after wounding. Wound-induced ABA accumulation was reduced by fluridone (FLD); an inhibitor of de novo ABA biosynthesis. Wound-induced PAL activity and the accumulation of suberin poly(phenolics) and poly(aliphatics) were also reduced in FLD treated tissues. Addition of ABA to the FLD treated tissues restored PAL activity and suberization, thereby confirming that ABA regulates these wound-healing processes. Similar experiments showed that ABA is involved in the regulation of water vapor loss in wounded tubers. These results unequivocally show that ABA is involved in the regulation of these crucial wound-healing processes. (Oral, Physiology, ID # 309).