Open AccessElevated carbon dioxide offers promise for wheat adaptation to heat stress by adjusting carbohydrate metabolism
Author(s) -
Aneela Ulfat,
Ahmer Mehmood,
Khawaja Shafique Ahmad,
Sami UlAllah
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
physiology and molecular biology of plants/physiology and molecular biology of plants
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.754
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 0971-5894
pISSN - 0974-0430
DOI - 10.1007/s12298-021-01080-5
Subject(s) - carbon dioxide , adaptation (eye) , plant physiology , carbohydrate , carbohydrate metabolism , heat stress , ecophysiology , chemistry , biology , botany , photosynthesis , biochemistry , ecology , zoology , neuroscience
Carbohydrate metabolism in plants is influenced by thermodynamics. The amount of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in the atmosphere is expected to rise in the future. As a result, understanding the effects of higher CO 2 on carbohydrate metabolism and heat stress tolerance is necessary for anticipating plant responses to global warming and elevated CO 2 . In this study, five wheat cultivars were exposed to heat stress (40 °C) at the onset of anthesis for three continuous days. These cultivars were grown at two levels of CO 2 i.e. ambient CO 2 level (a[CO 2 ], 380 mmol L -1 ) and elevated CO 2 level (e[CO 2 ], 780 mmol L -1 ), to determine the interactive effect of elevated CO 2 and heat stress on carbohydrate metabolism and antioxidant enzyme activity in wheat. Heat stress reduced the photosynthetic rate ( Pn ) and grain yield in all five cultivars, but cultivars grown in e[CO 2 ] sustained Pn and grain yield in contrast to cultivars grown in a[CO 2 ]. Heat stress reduced the activity of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, invertases, Glutathione reductase (GR), Peroxidase (POX), and Superoxide dismutase (SOD) at a[CO 2 ] but increased at e[CO 2 ]. The concentration of sucrose, glucose, and fructose mainly increased in tolerant cultivars under heat stress at e[CO 2 ]. This study confirms the interaction between the heat stress and e[CO2] to mitigate the effect of heat stress on wheat and suggests to have in-depth knowledge and precise understanding of carbohydrate metabolism in heat stressed plants in order to prevent the negative effects of high temperatures on productivity and other physiological attributes.