Long-term growth under elevated CO2 differentially suppresses biotic stress genes in non-acclimated versus cold-acclimated winter wheat

This study compared the photosynthetic performance and the global gene expression of the winter hardy wheat Triticum aestivum cv Norstar grown under non-acclimated (NA) or cold-acclimated (CA) condition at either ambient CO2 or elevated CO2 (EC). CA Norstar maintained comparable light saturated and CO2 saturated rates of photosynthesis but lower quantum requirements for photosystem II and non photochemical quenching relative to NA plants even at EC. Neither NA nor CA plants were sensitive to feedback inhibition of photosynthesis at EC. Global gene expression using microarray combined with bioinformatics analysis revealed that genes affected by EC were 3 times higher in NA (1022 genes) compared to CA (372 genes) Norstar. The most striking effect was the down-regulation of genes involved in the plant defense responses in NA Norstar. In contrast, cold acclimation reversed this down regulation due to the cold induction of genes involved in plant pathogenesis resistance, and cellular and chloroplast protection. These results suggest that EC have less impact on plant performance and productivity in cold adapted winter hardy plants in the northern climates compared to warmer environments. Selection for cereal cultivars with constitutively higher expression of biotic stress defense genes may be necessary under EC during the warm growth period and in warmer climates.

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Kane K, Dahal KP, Badawi MA, Houde M, Hüner NP, Sarhan F