Spermidine biosynthesis as affected by osmotic stress in oat leaves (original) (raw)

Abstract

A new assay for the evaluation of spermidine (Spd) synthase activity was developed. It involves a coupled reaction and avoids the use of decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine, which is unstable and not easily available. This assay was applied to assess changes in enzyme activity in oat leaves subjected to osmotic stress in the dark. The results indicate that osmotically-induced putrescine (Put) accumulation in cereals results not only from the activation of the arginine decarboxylase pathway, but also from the inhibition of the activity of Spd synthase, the enzyme which catalyzes the transformation of Put to Spd. Other possibilities which could contribute to the decline of Spd and spermine levels under osmotic stress are also discussed.

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Abbreviations

ADC:

arginine decarboxylase

Dap:

diaminopropane

DFMA:

α-difluoromethylarginine

MGBG:

methylglyoxal-bis-guanylhydrazone

MTA:

5′-deoxy-5′-methylthioadenosine

ODC:

ornithine decarboxylase

PA:

polyamines

PAO:

polyamine oxidase

PCA:

perchloric acid

PLP:

pyridoxal phosphate

Put:

putrescine

SAM:

S-adenosylmethionine

dSAM:

decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine

SAMDC:

S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase

Spd:

spermidine

Spm:

spermine

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unitat de Fisiologia Vegetal, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
    A. F. Tiburcio
  2. Department of Biology, Yale University, P.O. Box 6666, 06511, New Haven, CT, USA
    R. Kaur-Sawhneyz & A. W. Galston

Authors

  1. A. F. Tiburcio
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  2. R. Kaur-Sawhneyz
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  3. A. W. Galston
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Tiburcio, A.F., Kaur-Sawhneyz, R. & Galston, A.W. Spermidine biosynthesis as affected by osmotic stress in oat leaves.Plant Growth Regul 13, 103–109 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00207599

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