Proline content in transgenic lines of winter wheat with partial suppression of the proline dehydrogenase gene in separate vegetation phase
Abstract
Aim. Assessment of the free proline content in transgenic lines of winter wheat with partial suppression of the proline dehydrogenase gene compared to the original genotype in photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic organs in separate phases of vegetation and its impact on grain yield. Methods. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation in planta; biochemical determination of free proline content; mathematical statistics. Results. It was shown that transgenic winter wheat plants accumulate proline in significant quantities under non-stressful conditions at different stages of vegetation, compared to non-transgenic plants, which is due to the partial suppression of the proline catabolism gene. The excess of its content in the flag leaves of transgenic lines compared to the original genotype both at beginning of heading and at flowering was near – 1.7–1.8 times. It was established that the content of this amino acid in the roots of plants of both non-transformed and transgenic lines was 60% of its values in the flag leaves at beginning of heading. A similar pattern of proline content in the roots was observed at flowering. Conclusions. It was found that transgenic winter wheat plants with partial suppression of the proline dehydrogenase gene under normal conditions accumulate more proline in the leaves compared to the roots at different stages of vegetation.
References
Alvarez M. E., Savouré A., Szabados L. Proline metabolism as regulatory hub. Trends in Plant Science. 2022. Vol. 27 (1). P. 39–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2021.07.009.
Atta N., Shahbaz M., Farhat F., Maqsood M. F., Zulfiqar U., Naz N., Ahmed M. M. Hassan N. U., Mujahid N., Mustafa A. E. M. A., Elshikh M. S., Chaudhary T. Proline-mediated redox regulation in wheat for mitigating nickel-induced stress and soil decontamination. Scientific Reports. 2024. Vol. 14 (1). P. 2184. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52695-z.
Bates L. S., Waldren R. P., Teare I. D. Rapid determination of free proline for water-stress studies. Plant and Soils. 1973. Vol. 39. P. 205–207. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00018060.
Dubrovna O. V., Mykhalska S. I., Komisarenko A. H. Genetic Modification of Wheat to Increase Its Drought Tolerance. Cytology and Genetics. 2025. Vol. 56 (3). P. 361–378. Retrieved from: https://cytgen.com/en/2025/60-83N3V59.htm.
Dubrovna O. V., Priadkina G. O., Mykhalska S. I., Komisarenko A. G. Drought-tolerance of transgenic winter wheat with partial suppression of the proline dehydrogenase gene. Regulatory Mechanisms in Biosystems. 2022. Vol. 13 (4). P. 385–392. https://doi.org/10.15421/022251.
Eser C., Soylu S., Ozkan H. Drought responses of traditional and modern wheats in different phenological stages. Field Crops Research. 2024. Vol. 305. P. 109201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2023.109201.
Ghosh U. K., Islam M. N., Siddiqui M. N., Cao X., Khan M. A. R. Proline, a multifaceted signalling molecule in plant responses to abiotic stress: understanding the physiological mechanisms. Plant Biology. 2022. Vol. 24 (2). P. 227–239. https://doi.org/10.1111/plb.13363.
Hasanuzzaman M., Mahmud J. A., Anee T. I., Nahar K. M., Islam T. Drought stress tolerance in wheat: Omics approaches in understanding and enhancing antioxidant defense abiotic stress-mediated sensing and signaling in plants: an omics perspective. In: Abiotic Stress-Mediated Sensing and Signaling in Plants: An Omics Perspective. Eds.: S. M. Zargar, M. Y. Zargar. Singapore : Springer Nature, 2018. P. 267–307. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7479-0_10.
Kaur G., Asthir B., Bains N. Modulation of proline metabolism under drought and salt stress conditions in wheat seedlings. Indian Journal of Biochemistry and Biophysics. 2018. Vol. 55. P. 114–124. Retrieved from: http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/44345.
Kolupaev Yu. E., Shkliarevskyi M. A. Accumulation of proline in vegetative organs of Triticum aestivum (Poaceae) under drought conditions in the early phases of development: a meta-analysis of data. Ukrainian Botanical Journal. 2025. 82 (4). P 277–290. https://doi.org/10.15407/ukrbotj82.04.277. [in Ukrainian]
Rehman A. U., Bashir F., Ayaydin F., Kóta Z. Páli T., Vass I. Proline is a quencher of singlet oxygen and superoxide both in in vitro systems and isolated thylakoids. Physiologia Plantarum. 2021. Vol. 172 (1). P. 7–18. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppl.13265.
Renzetti M., Bertolini E., Trovato M. Proline Metabolism Genes in Transgenic Plants: Meta-Analysis under Drought and Salt Stress. Plants. 2024. Vol. 13. P. 1913. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13141913.
Saha D., Mishra K., Pattnayak C., Dey P., Singh M., Yadav M., Singh C., Singhal R. H. Wheat improvement for nutritional quality and abiotic stress tolerances. Discover Plants. 2025. Vol. 2. P. 333. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44372-025-00424-9.
Singhal R. K., Kumar V., Bose B. Improving the yield and yield attributes in wheat crop using seed priming under drought stress. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry. 2019. Vol. 8. P. 214–220.
Stasyk O. O., Kiriziy D. A., Pryadkina G. O., Sokolovska-Sergienko O. G., Shevchenko V. V., Bondarenko O. Yu., Makharynska N. M. Drought resistance of the photosynthetic apparatus and productivity of winter wheat. Kyiv : Interservice, 2025. 303 p. [in Ukrainian]
