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Evaluation of a ninhydrin procedure for measuring membrane thermostability of wheat
Author(s) -
Cekic Cemal,
Paulsen Gary M.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci2001.4141351x
Subject(s) - thermostability , ninhydrin , biology , horticulture , electrolyte , membrane , cultivar , amino acid , cell permeability , botany , biochemistry , chemistry , enzyme , electrode
Membrane thermostability (MT) is used widely to measure high‐temperature tolerance of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.). However, the method, which measures conductivity of electrolytes released from injured cells, is affected by environmental factors for growing plants and is not effective on maturing plants. Amino acids exosmose like inorganic electrolytes from cells that are damaged by high temperature but, unlike electrolytes, typically occur only in living cells. These studies determined whether measuring leakage of amino acids effectively assessed high‐temperature injury to wheat in comparison with the conductivity method, and if it was suitable for evaluating maturing plants. Membrane thermostability was measured by conductivity and ninhydrin methods on seedlings and maturing plants grown under controlled conditions and on 12 genotypes at two field locations. Relative injury (RI) values from hardened seedlings differed significantly among 12 genotypes. Rankings of the genotypes were similar for both methods in seedlings ( r = 0.94), and values of both methods were significantly correlated in maturing plants ( r = 0.90). The RI values by the ninhydrin method but not the conductivity method differed significantly among the 12 genotypes and identified the top‐yielding cultivars at both field locations, but results of neither method correlated with grain yields. The results showed that the ninhydrin method measures high‐temperature injury of young plants as successfully as the conductivity method, but neither method is suitable for maturing plants.