Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Characterization of contrasting genotypes reveals general physiological and molecular mechanisms of heat-stress adaptation in maize (Zea mays L.)

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In order to dissect the adaptation response of maize to heat-stress, we characterized and juxtaposed different physio-biochemical parameters for two contrasting genotypes, namely DTPYC9F119 (heat-stress tolerant) and K64R (heat-stress susceptible) under 6 days heat treatment (38/28 °C). Chlorophyll a and b content was found to be reduced under high temperature in both the genotypes, but, it was reduced more prominently in the susceptible genotype (K64R). Net photosynthetic rate was significantly reduced under high temperature in K64R but this reduction was relatively lower in case of DTPYC9F119. Stomatal conductance was increased under stress treatment in both the genotypes but the rate of increase was lower in tolerant one (DTPYC9F119). Activity of anti-oxidant enzymes (viz. catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase) and their gene expression was increased in both the genotypes under heat-stress condition. Thus, the heat-stress tolerant genotype has evolved some strategies like modulation of anti-oxidant gene expression, lower transpiration rate, lower increase of internal CO2 concentration which could make sustain a basic level of photosynthesis even under high temperature stress, etc. that may contribute to its tolerance trait.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aebi H (1984) Catalase in vitro. Methods Enzymol 105:121–126

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Almeselmani M, Deshmukh P, Sairam R (2009) High temperature stress tolerance in wheat genotypes: role of antioxidant defence enzymes. Acta Agron Hung 57(1):1–14

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Anonymous (2009) Climate change threatens water, food security of 1.6 billion south Asians. Asian Development Bank Report. https://www.adb.org/news/adb-climate-change-threatens-water-food-security-16-billion-south-asians. Accessed 9 July 2019

  • Ara N, Nakkanong K, Lv W, Yang J, Hu Z, Zhang M (2013) Antioxidant enzymatic activities and gene expression associated with heat tolerance in the stems and roots of two cucurbit species (“Cucurbita maxima” and “Cucurbitamoschata”) and their interspecific inbred line “Maxchata”. Int J Mol Sci 14(12):24008–24028

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnabás B, Jäger K, Fehér A (2008) The effect of drought and heat-stress on reproductive processes in cereals. Plant, Cell Environ 31(1):11–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradford MM (1976) A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Ann Biochem 72:248–254

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cairns JE, Hellin J, Sonder K, Araus JL, MacRobert JF, Thierfelder C, Prasanna BM (2013) Adapting maize production to climate change in sub-Saharan Africa. Food Secur 5(3):345–360

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castillo FJ, Penel C, Greppin H (1984) Peroxidase release induced by ozone in Sedum balbum leaves involvement of Ca2+. Plant Physiol 74(4):846–851

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Coskun Y, Coskun A, Demirel U, Ozden M (2011) Physiological response of maize (Zea mays L.) to high temperature stress. Aust J Crop Sci 5(8):966

    Google Scholar 

  • Crafts-Brandner SJ, Salvucci ME (2002) Sensitivity of photosynthesis in a C4 plant, maize, to heat-stress. Plant Physiol 129(4):1773–1780

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cui L, Li J, Fan Y, Xu S, Zhang Z (2006) High temperature effects on photosynthesis, PSII functionality and antioxidant activity of two Festuca arundinacea cultivars with different heat susceptibility. Bot Stud 47:61–69

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Debnath S, Gazal A, Yadava P, Singh I (2016) Identification of contrasting genotypes under heat stress in maize (Zea mays L). Maize J 5(1 & 2):14–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Dhindsa RS, Dhindsa PP, Thorpe TA (1981) Leaf senescence correlated with increased levels of membrane permeability and lipid peroxidation, and decreased levels of superoxide dismutase and catalase. J Exp Bot 32(1):93–101

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dhyani K, Ansari W, Rao Y, Verma S, Shukla A, Tuteja N (2013) Comparative physiological response of wheat genotypes under terminal heat stress. Plant Signal Behav 8(6):1–6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dutta S, Mohanty S, Tripathy BC (2009) Role of temperature stress on chloroplast biogenesis and protein import in pea. Plant Physiol 150(2):1050–1061

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hasanuzzaman M, Nahar K, Alam MM, Roychowdhury R, Fujita M (2013) Physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms of heat-stress tolerance in plants. Int J Mol Sci 14(5):9643–9684

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hiscox JT, Israelstam GF (1979) A method for the extraction of chlorophyll from leaf tissue without maceration. Can J Bot 57(12):1332–1334

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar K, Singh I, Aggarwal C, Tiwari I, Jha AK, Yadava P, Rakshit S (2019) Expression profiling of heat shock protein genes in two contrasting maize inbred lines. Int J Curr Microbiol Appl Sci 8(6):347–358

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lobell DB, Schlenker W, Costa-Roberts J (2011) Climate trends and global crop production since 1980. Science 333(6042):616–620

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Premachandra GS, Saneoka H, Ogata S (1990) Cell membrane stability, an indicator of drought tolerance, as affected by applied nitrogen in soyabean. J Agric Sci 115(1):63–66

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sairam RK, Tyagi A (2004) Physiology and molecular biology of salinity stress tolerance in plants. Curr Sci 86(3):407–421

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Savchenko GE, Klyuchareva EA, Abramchik LM, Serdyuchenko EV (2002) Effect of periodic heat shock on the inner membrane system of etioplasts. Russ J Plant Physiol 49(3):349–359

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh I, Chikkappa GK, Atkare AP, Shukla PK, Avni, Yadava P (2017a) Identification of heat-stress tolerant recombinant inbred lines in maize (Zea mays L.). Maize J 6:9–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh M, Chakraborti D, Dass S, Singh DK, Singh N, Singh I (2017b) Effect of high temperature and low moisture stress on morpho-physiological and biochemical characters and yield of maize hybrids. Ann Plant Soil Res 19(1):71–74

    Google Scholar 

  • Sinsawat V, Leipner J, Stamp P, Fracheboud Y (2004) Effect of heat-stress on the photosynthetic apparatus in maize (Zea mays L.) grown at control or high temperature. Environ Exp Bot 52(2):123–129

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Srinivasan A, Takeda H, Senboku T (1996) Heat tolerance in food legumes as evaluated by cell membrane thermostability and chlorophyll fluorescence techniques. Euphytica 88(1):35–45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steven J, Brandner C, Salvucci M (2002) Sensitivity of photosynthesis in C4 maize plant to heat-stress. Plant Physiol 129:1773–1780

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wahid A, Gelani S, Ashraf M, Foolad MR (2007) Heat tolerance in plants: an overview. Environ Exp Bot 61(3):199–223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yadava P, Kaur P, Singh I (2013) Exogenous application of ascorbic acid alleviates oxidative stress in maize. Ind J Plant Physiol 18(4):339–343

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yadava P, Kaushal J, Gautam A, Parmar H, Singh I (2016a) Physiological and biochemical effects of 24-Epibrassinolide on heat-stress adaptation in maize (Zea mays L.). Nat Sci 8:171–179

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yadava P, Thirunavukkarasu N, Kaur P, Shiriga K, Singh I (2016b) Salicylic acid alleviates methyl viologen induced oxidative stress through transcriptional modulation of antioxidant genes in Zea mays L. Maydica 60(3):1–9

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the Director, ICAR-IIMR for providing necessary facilities to carry out this work under in-house project “Physiological and molecular basis of heat tolerance in maize”. The research was supported in part by funds from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research funded “Network Project on Transgenics in Crops” (NPTC-3015).

Author information

Author notes

  1. Ishwar Singh and Suprokash Debnath have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Indian Council of Agricultural Research- Indian Institute of Maize Research, Pusa Campus, New Delhi, 110012, India

    Ishwar Singh, Suprokash Debnath, Anuradha Gautam & Pranjal Yadava

  2. Indian Council of Agricultural Research- Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa Campus, New Delhi, 110012, India

    Suprokash Debnath

  3. Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida, 201313, India

    Anuradha Gautam

Authors
  1. Ishwar Singh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Suprokash Debnath
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Anuradha Gautam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Pranjal Yadava
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

IS conceived and planned the experiments, which were primarily carried out by SD and AG. PY provided critical inputs for antioxidant genes expression studies. SD analyzed the data and wrote the initial draft of manuscript, which was critically edited and substantially improved by IS and PY. All the authors read, commented and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ishwar Singh.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this article.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Singh, I., Debnath, S., Gautam, A. et al. Characterization of contrasting genotypes reveals general physiological and molecular mechanisms of heat-stress adaptation in maize (Zea mays L.). Physiol Mol Biol Plants 26, 921–929 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-020-00801-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-020-00801-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation