Nitric oxide participates in cold-inhibited Camellia sinensis pollen germination and tube growth partly via cGMP in vitro

PLoS One. 2012;7(12):e52436. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052436. Epub 2012 Dec 18.

Abstract

Nitric oxide (NO) plays essential roles in many biotic and abiotic stresses in plant development procedures, including pollen tube growth. Here, effects of NO on cold stress inhibited pollen germination and tube growth in Camellia sinensis were investigated in vitro. The NO production, NO synthase (NOS)-like activity, cGMP content and proline (Pro) accumulation upon treatment with NO scavenger cPTIO, NOS inhibitor L-NNA, NO donor DEA NONOate, guanylate cyclase (GC) inhibitor ODQ or phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor Viagra at 25°C (control) or 4°C were analyzed. Exposure to 4°C for 2 h reduced pollen germination and tube growth along with increase of NOS-like activity, NO production and cGMP content in pollen tubes. DEA NONOate treatment inhibited pollen germination and tube growth in a dose-dependent manner under control and reinforced the inhibition under cold stress, during which NO production and cGMP content promoted in pollen tubes. L-NNA and cPTIO markedly reduced the generation of NO induced by cold or NO donor along with partly reverse of cold- or NO donor-inhibited pollen germination and tube growth. Furthermore, ODQ reduced the cGMP content under cold stress and NO donor treatment in pollen tubes. Meanwhile, ODQ disrupted the reinforcement of NO donor on the inhibition of pollen germination and tube growth under cold condition. Additionally, Pro accumulation of pollen tubes was reduced by ODQ compared with that receiving NO donor under cold or control condition. Effects of cPTIO and L-NNA in improving cold-treated pollen germination and pollen tube growth could be lowered by Viagra. Moreover, the inhibitory effects of cPTIO and L-NNA on Pro accumulation were partly reversed by Viagra. These data suggest that NO production from NOS-like enzyme reaction decreased the cold-responsive pollen germination, inhibited tube growth and reduced Pro accumulation, partly via cGMP signaling pathway in C. sinensis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Camellia sinensis / growth & development
  • Camellia sinensis / metabolism*
  • Cold Temperature*
  • Cyclic GMP / metabolism*
  • Cyclic N-Oxides / pharmacology
  • Free Radical Scavengers / pharmacology
  • Germination* / drug effects
  • Hydrazines / pharmacology
  • Imidazoles / pharmacology
  • Nitric Oxide / metabolism*
  • Nitric Oxide Donors / pharmacology
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase / metabolism
  • Pollen Tube / drug effects
  • Pollen Tube / growth & development*
  • Pollen Tube / metabolism*
  • Proline / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • Stress, Physiological

Substances

  • Cyclic N-Oxides
  • Free Radical Scavengers
  • Hydrazines
  • Imidazoles
  • Nitric Oxide Donors
  • 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide
  • Nitric Oxide
  • 1,1-diethyl-2-hydroxy-2-nitrosohydrazine
  • Proline
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase
  • Cyclic GMP

Grants and funding

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (31000315, 30972403, http://www.nsfc.gov.cn/Portal0/default152.htm), Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (20090097120049, http://www.moe.edu.cn/), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (20100481158, http://www.chinapostdoctor.org.cn/V3/Program/Main.aspx), Open Project of Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Biotechnology (Nanjing Forestry University), Ministry of Education, China (FGB200904, http://fgbio.njfu.edu.cn/), and Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK2010451, http://www.jstd.gov.cn/). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.