Membrane fatty acid compositions and cold-induced responses in tetraploid and hexaploid wheats

Plant cells often increase cold tolerance by reprogramming their genes expression which results in adjusted metabolic alternations, a process enhanced under cold acclimation. In present study, we assessed the changes of membrane fatty acid compositions along with physio-biochemical indices like H2O2 and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents and lipoxygenase (LOX) activity during cold stress (CS) phases in acclimated and non-acclimated durum (SRN and Gerdish) and bread (Norstar) wheat genotypes. During thermal treatments, MDA was an end product of lipid peroxidation via oxidative stress (H2O2 content) rather than LOX activity. LOX activity plays a double role in mechanism of cold tolerance in wheat, particularly at severe stress. With increase in severity of CS especially in non-acclimated plants, LOX activity decreased along with an increase in MDA and other responses helped increase or maintaine unsaturated fatty acids (FAs) whereas in acclimated plants (moderate CS), increasing of LOX activity along with a decrease in MDA indicates probably its role in secondary metabolites like jasmonic acid signaling pathway. Significant increase of total FAs and particularly unsaturated FAs showed distinct cell endeavor to protect against CS in Norstar and Gerdish compared to SRN genotype. Results showed that an increase in double bond index and LOX activity and low MDA under CS could be reasons for plant cold tolerance.