Abstract
Ricinus communis is becoming an important crop for oil production, and studying the physiological and
biochemical aspects of seedling development may aid in the improvement of crop quality and yield. The
objective of this study was to assess the effect of temperature on biomass allocation in two R. communis
genotypes. Biomass allocation was assessed by measuring dry weight of roots, stems, and cotyledons of
seedlings grown at three different temperatures. Root length of each seedling was measured. Biomass
allocation was strongly affected by temperature. Seedlings grown at 25 ¿C and 35 ¿C showed greater
biomass than seedlings grown at 20 ¿C. Cotyledon and stem dry weight increased for both genotypes
with increasing temperature, whereas root biomass allocation showed a genotype-dependent behavior.
Genotype MPA11 showed a continuous increase in root dry weight with increasing temperature, while
genotype IAC80 was not able to sustain further root growth at higher temperatures. Based on metabolite
and gene expression profiles, genotype MPA11 increases its level of osmoprotectant molecules and
transcripts of genes encoding for antioxidant enzymes and heat shock proteins to a higher extent than
genotype IAC80. This might be causal for the ability to maintain homeostasis and support root growth at
elevated temperatures in genotype MPA11.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 31-39 |
Journal | Journal of Plant Physiology |
Volume | 185 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2015 |
Keywords
- abiotic stress tolerance
- plant-responses
- heat-stress
- castor-oil
- acid gaba
- growth
- metabolomics
- arabidopsis
- pathways
- moisture