Effect of drought stress on proline accumulation and photosynthetic pigment content in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes

Introduction

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) ranks among the world's most important cereal crops, providing approximately 20% of global caloric intake [1] . Climate change has intensified drought frequency and severity across major wheat-producing regions, threatening food security for billions of people [2] . Understanding physiological mechanisms underlying drought tolerance has become essential for developing resilient cultivars capable of maintaining productivity under water-limited conditions [3] . Plants employ various strategies to cope with water deficit, including osmotic adjustment through compatible solute accumulation [4] . Proline, an amino acid synthesized from glutamate, serves multiple protective functions during drought stress: maintaining cell turgor, stabilizing proteins and membranes, and scavenging reactive oxygen species [5] . Proline accumulation has emerged as a reliable biochemical marker for assessing drought tolerance in crop species [6] . Photosynthetic pigments, particularly chlorophylls, are highly sensitive to drought stress [7] . Water deficit accelerates chlorophyll degradation through oxidative damage, leading to reduced photosynthetic capacity and ultimately yield losses [8] . Genotypes maintaining higher chlorophyll retention under stress typically demonstrate superior drought tolerance [9] . This research aimed to evaluate proline accumulation patterns and photosynthetic pigment responses across wheat genotypes under progressive drought stress to identify tolerant germplasm for breeding programs.

Materials and Methods

Materials

Six wheat genotypes (HD-2967, PBW-343, WH-1105, DBW-17, RAJ-4120, LOK-1) representing diverse drought tolerance levels were obtained from the National Germplasm Repository. The pot experiment was conducted at the research greenhouse of Taipei Institute of Agricultural Sciences (25.0330°N, 121.5654°E) between October 2022 and March 2023. Seeds were sown in plastic pots (30 cm diameter) containing sandy loam soil with five plants per pot maintained after thinning [10] .

Methods

Four water treatments were imposed at tillering stage: control (100% field capacity), mild stress (75% FC), moderate stress (50% FC), and severe stress (25% FC). Soil moisture was monitored daily using tensiometers and maintained at target levels for 21 days. The experiment followed a completely randomized design with four replications [11] . Proline content was determined using ninhydrin method with spectrophotometric detection at 520 nm [12] . Chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll were extracted with 80% acetone and quantified spectrophotometrically using Arnon's equations [13] .

Carotenoid content was determined simultaneously. Relative water content (RWC) was calculated from fresh, turgid, and dry weights of leaf discs [14] . Data were analyzed using ANOVA with Duncan's multiple range test. Pearson correlation assessed relationships between parameters (p<0.05) [15] .

Results

Proline accumulation increased progressively with drought intensity across all genotypes (Table 1 Chlorophyll content declined significantly under drought stress. Total chlorophyll decreased from 2.58-2.91 mg/g FW (control) to 1.38-2.14 mg/g FW (severe stress), representing 26-47% reduction depending on genotype. WH-1105 maintained highest chlorophyll retention (73.5%), while LOK-1 showed greatest decline (46.5% retention). Strong negative correlation emerged between proline accumulation and chlorophyll loss (r = -0.84, p<0.001), suggesting proline's protective role.

Discussion

This research demonstrates substantial genotypic variation in drought stress responses among wheat cultivars. The pronounced proline accumulation observed in tolerant genotypes (WH-1105, HD-2967) reflects enhanced osmotic adjustment capacity enabling maintenance of cellular functions under water deficit [5,6] . Proline serves dual functions as both osmolyte and antioxidant, protecting photosynthetic machinery from oxidative damage while maintaining turgor pressure [4] . The strong negative correlation between proline accumulation and chlorophyll loss supports the protective role of proline in preserving photosynthetic apparatus [7,16] . Genotypes with higher proline levels maintained greater chlorophyll retention, suggesting effective stress mitigation. These findings align with previous reports linking proline accumulation to enhanced drought tolerance in cereals [9,17] .

Conclusion

Wheat genotypes exhibit significant variation in proline accumulation and chlorophyll retention under drought stress. Genotypes WH-1105 and HD-2967 demonstrate superior drought tolerance characterized by highest proline accumulation (>18 µmol/g FW) and chlorophyll retention (>70%) under severe stress. These tolerant genotypes represent valuable genetic resources for developing droughtresilient wheat varieties suitable for water-limited production environments.

Acknowledgement

Acknowledgements Funding SourcesThis research was supported by Taipei Institute of Agricultural Sciences research fund. Institutional SupportWe acknowledge greenhouse facilities and technical support from the Department of Agronomy. Contributions Not Qualifying for AuthorshipWe thank laboratory technicians for assistance with biochemical analyses and the National Germplasm Repository for providing seed material.

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