Water Deficit-Induced Changes in Phenolic Acid Content in Maize Leaves Is Associated with Altered Expression of Cinnamate 4-Hydroxylase and p-Coumaric Acid 3-Hydroxylase
The amino acid phenylalanine is a precursor to phenolic acids that constitute the lignin biosynthetic pathway. Although there is evidence of a role of some phenolic acids in plant responses to pathogens and salinity, characterization of the involvement of phenolic acids in plant responses to drought...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-12-01
|
| Series: | Plants |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/1/101 |
| _version_ | 1797431356087599104 |
|---|---|
| author | Zintle Kolo Anelisa Majola Kyle Phillips Ali Elnaeim Elbasheir Ali Robert E. Sharp Ndiko Ludidi |
| author_facet | Zintle Kolo Anelisa Majola Kyle Phillips Ali Elnaeim Elbasheir Ali Robert E. Sharp Ndiko Ludidi |
| author_sort | Zintle Kolo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The amino acid phenylalanine is a precursor to phenolic acids that constitute the lignin biosynthetic pathway. Although there is evidence of a role of some phenolic acids in plant responses to pathogens and salinity, characterization of the involvement of phenolic acids in plant responses to drought is limited. Drought reduces water content in plant tissue and can lead to decreased cell viability and increased cell death. We thus subjected maize seedlings to water deficit and evaluated relative water content and cell viability together with p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid and ferulic acid contents in the leaves. Furthermore, we measured the enzymatic activity of cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (EC 1.14.13.11) and p-coumarate 3-hydroxylase (EC 1.14.17.2) and associated these with the expression of genes encoding cinnamate 4-hydroxylase and p-coumarate-3 hydroxylase in response to water deficit. Water deficit reduced relative water content and cell viability in maize leaves. This corresponded with decreased p-coumaric acid but increased caffeic and ferulic acid content in the leaves. Changes in the phenolic acid content of the maize leaves were associated with increased enzymatic activities of cinnamate 4-hydroxylase and p-coumarate hydroxylase. The increased enzymatic activity of p-coumarate 3-hydroxylase was associated with increased expression of a gene encoding p-coumarate 3-hydroxylase. We thus conclude that metabolic pathways involving phenolic acids may contribute to the regulation of drought responses in maize, and we propose that further work to elucidate this regulation may contribute to the development of new maize varieties with improved drought tolerance. This can be achieved by marker-assisted selection to select maize lines with high levels of expression of genes encoding cinnamate 4-hydroxylase and/or p-coumarate 3-hydroxylase for use in breeding programs aimed and improving drought tolerance, or by overexpression of these genes via genetic engineering to confer drought tolerance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:42:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7ac6d9368e0044f6b9030f9bd4801853 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:42:42Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj.art-7ac6d9368e0044f6b9030f9bd48018532023-12-02T00:47:42ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472022-12-0112110110.3390/plants12010101Water Deficit-Induced Changes in Phenolic Acid Content in Maize Leaves Is Associated with Altered Expression of Cinnamate 4-Hydroxylase and p-Coumaric Acid 3-HydroxylaseZintle Kolo0Anelisa Majola1Kyle Phillips2Ali Elnaeim Elbasheir Ali3Robert E. Sharp4Ndiko Ludidi5Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Robert Sobukwe Road, Bellville 7530, South AfricaDepartment of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Robert Sobukwe Road, Bellville 7530, South AfricaDepartment of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Robert Sobukwe Road, Bellville 7530, South AfricaDepartment of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Robert Sobukwe Road, Bellville 7530, South Africa2-8 Agriculture Building, Interdisciplinary Plant Group, Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USADepartment of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Robert Sobukwe Road, Bellville 7530, South AfricaThe amino acid phenylalanine is a precursor to phenolic acids that constitute the lignin biosynthetic pathway. Although there is evidence of a role of some phenolic acids in plant responses to pathogens and salinity, characterization of the involvement of phenolic acids in plant responses to drought is limited. Drought reduces water content in plant tissue and can lead to decreased cell viability and increased cell death. We thus subjected maize seedlings to water deficit and evaluated relative water content and cell viability together with p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid and ferulic acid contents in the leaves. Furthermore, we measured the enzymatic activity of cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (EC 1.14.13.11) and p-coumarate 3-hydroxylase (EC 1.14.17.2) and associated these with the expression of genes encoding cinnamate 4-hydroxylase and p-coumarate-3 hydroxylase in response to water deficit. Water deficit reduced relative water content and cell viability in maize leaves. This corresponded with decreased p-coumaric acid but increased caffeic and ferulic acid content in the leaves. Changes in the phenolic acid content of the maize leaves were associated with increased enzymatic activities of cinnamate 4-hydroxylase and p-coumarate hydroxylase. The increased enzymatic activity of p-coumarate 3-hydroxylase was associated with increased expression of a gene encoding p-coumarate 3-hydroxylase. We thus conclude that metabolic pathways involving phenolic acids may contribute to the regulation of drought responses in maize, and we propose that further work to elucidate this regulation may contribute to the development of new maize varieties with improved drought tolerance. This can be achieved by marker-assisted selection to select maize lines with high levels of expression of genes encoding cinnamate 4-hydroxylase and/or p-coumarate 3-hydroxylase for use in breeding programs aimed and improving drought tolerance, or by overexpression of these genes via genetic engineering to confer drought tolerance.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/1/101water deficitdrought stressphenolic acidscinnamate 4-hydroxylase<i>p</i>-coumarate 3-hydroxylase |
| spellingShingle | Zintle Kolo Anelisa Majola Kyle Phillips Ali Elnaeim Elbasheir Ali Robert E. Sharp Ndiko Ludidi Water Deficit-Induced Changes in Phenolic Acid Content in Maize Leaves Is Associated with Altered Expression of Cinnamate 4-Hydroxylase and p-Coumaric Acid 3-Hydroxylase Plants water deficit drought stress phenolic acids cinnamate 4-hydroxylase <i>p</i>-coumarate 3-hydroxylase |
| title | Water Deficit-Induced Changes in Phenolic Acid Content in Maize Leaves Is Associated with Altered Expression of Cinnamate 4-Hydroxylase and p-Coumaric Acid 3-Hydroxylase |
| title_full | Water Deficit-Induced Changes in Phenolic Acid Content in Maize Leaves Is Associated with Altered Expression of Cinnamate 4-Hydroxylase and p-Coumaric Acid 3-Hydroxylase |
| title_fullStr | Water Deficit-Induced Changes in Phenolic Acid Content in Maize Leaves Is Associated with Altered Expression of Cinnamate 4-Hydroxylase and p-Coumaric Acid 3-Hydroxylase |
| title_full_unstemmed | Water Deficit-Induced Changes in Phenolic Acid Content in Maize Leaves Is Associated with Altered Expression of Cinnamate 4-Hydroxylase and p-Coumaric Acid 3-Hydroxylase |
| title_short | Water Deficit-Induced Changes in Phenolic Acid Content in Maize Leaves Is Associated with Altered Expression of Cinnamate 4-Hydroxylase and p-Coumaric Acid 3-Hydroxylase |
| title_sort | water deficit induced changes in phenolic acid content in maize leaves is associated with altered expression of cinnamate 4 hydroxylase and p coumaric acid 3 hydroxylase |
| topic | water deficit drought stress phenolic acids cinnamate 4-hydroxylase <i>p</i>-coumarate 3-hydroxylase |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/1/101 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zintlekolo waterdeficitinducedchangesinphenolicacidcontentinmaizeleavesisassociatedwithalteredexpressionofcinnamate4hydroxylaseandpcoumaricacid3hydroxylase AT anelisamajola waterdeficitinducedchangesinphenolicacidcontentinmaizeleavesisassociatedwithalteredexpressionofcinnamate4hydroxylaseandpcoumaricacid3hydroxylase AT kylephillips waterdeficitinducedchangesinphenolicacidcontentinmaizeleavesisassociatedwithalteredexpressionofcinnamate4hydroxylaseandpcoumaricacid3hydroxylase AT alielnaeimelbasheirali waterdeficitinducedchangesinphenolicacidcontentinmaizeleavesisassociatedwithalteredexpressionofcinnamate4hydroxylaseandpcoumaricacid3hydroxylase AT robertesharp waterdeficitinducedchangesinphenolicacidcontentinmaizeleavesisassociatedwithalteredexpressionofcinnamate4hydroxylaseandpcoumaricacid3hydroxylase AT ndikoludidi waterdeficitinducedchangesinphenolicacidcontentinmaizeleavesisassociatedwithalteredexpressionofcinnamate4hydroxylaseandpcoumaricacid3hydroxylase |