Physiological Comparisons among Four Related Bromus Species with Varying Ecological Amplitude: Polyamine and Aromatic Amine Composition in Response to Salt Spray and Drought

• Published in: Plant biology (Stuttgart, Germany) Vol. 4; no. 6; pp. 746 - 753
• Main Authors: Gicquiaud, L., Hennion, F., Esnault, M.-A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.11.2002
• Subjects: aromatic amine; Bromus L; ecological amplitude; Original Paper; polyamine; populations; salt and osmotic treatments; polyamine; aromatic amine; salt and osmotic treatments; Bromus L; populations; ecological amplitude
• ISSN: 1435-8603; 1438-8677
• DOI: 10.1055/s-2002-37401

Abstract We examined the amine composition in response to experimental osmotic or salt treatments of populations from four related BROMUS species in relation to the environment of their origin. We studied populations from (1) a sand dune protected from salt spray, and (2) a sand dune subject to salt spray. The study of amine composition and contents, the first in BROMUS, revealed a significant effect of origin for Spd and slightly for Spm, and higher levels were found in offspring of plants originating from an environment subject to sea spray. In all populations and species, plants subjected to osmotic and salt treatments showed significant decreases in Put, Spd, Spm and Dop levels. This was accompanied by significant increases in the oxidation product Dap and the amplitude of this response coincided with the presence of salt spray observed in the environment of origin of seeds, except for populations of B. RIGIDUS. Interspecific differences in amine composition and contents were also detected. Higher levels of Tyr and Dop were found in B. STERILIS and B. DIANDRUS, respectively. For Dap and Tyr, B. RIGIDUS, the species with the narrowest ecological amplitude in Brittany, showed the lowest response to either treatment. Our study of amine variations in BROMUS populations and species illustrate the links between the amplitude of amine response to experimental salt or osmotic treatments and (1) the exposure of populations to sea spray; and (2) the ecological amplitude of BROMUS species. Finally, experimental stress resulted in a strong decrease of interspecific variability in relation to amine metabolism in these four species.