Influence of evaporative demand on aquaporin expression and root hydraulics of hybrid poplar

When light levels and evaporative demand increase, dynamic physiological changes in roots may be required to restore the water balance at the whole plant level. We hypothesized that a dynamic increase in root hydraulic conductance (L(P)) and aquaporin (AQP) expression could moderate the transpiration-induced drop in water potential (Ψ), allowing continued gas exchange in hybrid poplar (Populus trichocarpa × deltoides) saplings. Fifty-six AQPs have been identified in poplar, but little information about their expression patterns in roots is available, especially from a whole-plant water relations perspective. We measured AQP expression and L(P) in plants subjected to different levels of light and evaporative demand. Shaded plants had only one-tenth the root area of plants growing at higher light levels. Shade-grown saplings experiencing a sudden increase in light exhibited a threefold higher L(P) than plants remaining in shade. This dynamic increase in L(P) corresponded with increased transcript abundance of 15 AQPs out of a total of 33 genes simultaneously assessed by quantitative RT-PCR. The tissue-level localization of transcripts of four AQPs was studied with in situ hybridization. Comprehensive expression profiling in conjunction with physiological and morphological measurements is a valuable reference for future studies on AQP function in poplar.