Open Access

ARTICLE

Effect of Water Stress Induced by Polyethylene Glycol on Growth, Proline Accumulation in Agave americana L.

by Alfaro-Corres Arnoldo Enrique^1,#, Lecona-Guzman Carlos Alberto^1,#, Gutiérrez-Miceli Federico Antonio¹, Martínez-Esteves Manuel², Silverio-Gómez María del Carmen³, Medina-Lara María de Fátima², Ruiz-Lau Nancy^4,*

1 Laboratorio de Biotecnología vegetal, Instituto Tecnológico de Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, 29050, México
2 Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, Unidad de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular de Plantas, Mérida, 97205, México
3 Insituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Huimanguillo, Tabasco, 86400, México
4 CONACYT-Tecnológico Nacional de México/Instituto Tecnológico de Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, 29050, México

* Corresponding Authors: Ruiz-Lau Nancy. Email: ,
# These authors contributed equally to this work

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Plant–Environment Interactions)

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2023, 92(2), 629-643. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2022.023970

Received 19 May 2022; Accepted 01 August 2022; Issue published 12 October 2022

Abstract

The effect of water deficit was determined on both in vitro and soil seedling as well as in cells in suspension of Agave americana L. In order to do the establishment of cells, the formation of callus was induced; for it two auxins were evaluated: 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 4-mino-3,5,6-trichloropicolinic acid (picloram) at three concentrations (0.25, 0.5 and 0.75 mg L⁻¹) in three explants (leaf, root and meristems) cultured in MS semisolid medium. The callogenesis response was related to the type and section of the explant, as well as the regulator used, and a cell suspension was established using 0.5 mg L⁻¹ naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) + 0.5 mg L⁻¹ Benzylaminopurine (BAP). Seedlings were exposed to polyethyleneglycol (15% and 30% w/v) with a water potential of −0.87 and −2.67 MPa, respectively, under soil conditions. Water stress was applied through restricted irrigation. Fresh weight, root system growth, and chlorophyll concentration were some of the parameters that were affected by the effect of water deficit on A. americana L. Chlorophyll concentration values were significantly decreased by 15 at 30% PEG (19.6 SPAD units) compared to the control treatment. In in vitro plants, the highest concentration of proline was found in the roots, being the treatment with 30% polyethylene glycol where the highest concentration of this osmoregulator was obtained (62.5 mg g⁻¹ DW). Under restricted irrigation conditions, an increase in proline concentration was observed both in the aerial part (2.2 µg 100 g⁻¹ DW) and in the root system (1.8 µg 100 g⁻¹ DW). However, the concentrations found were approximately ten times greater, less than those found under in vitro conditions. Therefore, the accumulation of proline can be considered an indicator of stress in Agave Americana L. growth in vitro.

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