Drought has detrimental effects on plant metabolic processes. Given the importance of maize (Zea mays L.) and soybean as food and feed crops, it is pivotal to identify genetic determinants of the responses of these plants to drought. Sterols are structural components of cell membranes and regulate the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS accumulate to toxic levels during drought-induced plant water deficit. Sterols are synthesized by squalene epoxidases/squalene monooxygenases such as cycloartenol synthase and lanosterol synthase. The study presented here provides transcriptomic and metabolomic responses of maize and soybean in reference to sterol biosynthesis. Drought reduced the relative water content of maize and soybean leaves, increased their H2O2 content and lipid peroxidation and altered the activity of some of the major enzymes controlling the antioxidant system of maize and soybean. On the other hand, cycloartenol synthase and lanosterol synthase gene expression in leaves was altered by drought in both maize and soybean and this corresponded to changes in sterol content in plant tissue. This suggests a role of sterols in plant responses to drought.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2017.01.046
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2017.01.046
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