Plant Morphological and Biochemical Responses to Field Water Deficits

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Abstract
Activity of glutathione reductase has been related to stress tolerance; however, these enzyme assays are generally conducted at 25°C. Foliage temperature varies greatly in the field in response to soil water availability and ambient conditions and this may affect enzyme response. This study was conducted to determine the effect of changing foliage temperature on glutathione reductase activity of wheat under field conditions. Wheat leaf glutathione reductase was purified and the temperature response of the enzyme was determined at 2.5°C intervals between 12.5 and 45°C. These data, in conjunction with continuous measurements of field-grown wheat foliage temperatures, were used to compare the temperature-related changes in potential glutathione reductase activities in water stressed and control plants. Assuming saturating substrate levels, the results indicate that early in the season the daily potential enzyme activity of the irrigated and stressed plants could never have reached the daily activity predicted from the 25°C (room temperature) measurements. Later in the season, the daily potential activity of the irrigated plants was lower, and the daily potential activity of the stressed plants was higher, than the activities predicted from the 25°C determinations. These results suggest that a better understanding of the regulation of plant metabolism will be obtained by linking continuous temperature measurements of plant foliage with enzyme responses to temperature.