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Antioxidant responses to waterlogging stress and subsequent recovery in two Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) cultivars

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Abstract

The antioxidant enzyme activities and gene expressions in leaves of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) were investigated in response to waterlogging stress and subsequent drainage. Two cultivars contrasting in waterlogging tolerance, ‘Moonlight’ (waterlogging-tolerant) and ‘Kenblue’ (waterlogging-sensitive), were subjected to waterlogging for 28 days (d) followed by 7 d of drainage recovery. Waterlogging stress increased malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide anion (O ·−2 ) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in both cultivars. Moonlight exhibited greater turfgrass quality (TQ) rating and chlorophyll (Chl) content than Kenblue during the waterlogging and drainage period. After 7 d of drainage, all physiological parameters returned to the control level for Moonlight, but not for Kenblue. Higher activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) as well as more abundance of isozymes were found in Moonlight relative to Kenblue under waterlogging stress. Moonlight showed higher SOD and APX activity and isozymes intensity when compared with Kenblue during the drainage period. The transcript levels of chloroplastic Cu/ZnSOD (Chl Cu/ZnSOD), MnSOD, FeSOD, POD and cytosolic APX (Cyt APX) were higher in Moonlight relative to Kenblue under waterlogging conditions, and higher transcript activities of Chl Cu/ZnSOD, FeSOD and Cyt APX were observed in Moonlight than in Kenblue at 7 d of drainage. The results of this study indicate that higher SOD and APX activity, isozymes intensity and gene expression level in Moonlight relative to Kenblue may play crucial roles in Kentucky bluegrass tolerance to waterlogging stress.

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Abbreviations

APX:

Ascorbate peroxidase

CAT:

Catalase

Chl:

Chlorophyll

H2O2 :

Hydrogen peroxide

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

O ·−2 :

Superoxide anion

PAR:

Photosynthetically active radiation

POD:

Guaiacol peroxidase

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

TQ:

Turfgrass quality

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program) (No. 2013AA102607) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31172255).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Turfgrass Research Institute, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, People’s Republic of China

    Xuehua Puyang, Mengying An, Lixin Xu & Liebao Han

  2. Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA

    Xunzhong Zhang

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  1. Xuehua Puyang
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  2. Mengying An
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  3. Lixin Xu
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  4. Liebao Han
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Correspondence to Liebao Han or Xunzhong Zhang.

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Communicated by K. Apostol.

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Puyang, X., An, M., Xu, L. et al. Antioxidant responses to waterlogging stress and subsequent recovery in two Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) cultivars. Acta Physiol Plant 37, 197 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-015-1955-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-015-1955-z

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