Dynamic structural changes in wheat seedlings as a response to drought stress

The objective of our research was to define the precise structural response in wheat seedlings correlated with the duration of drought stress. For this purpose, we selected structural components of the cell recognised by specific molecular probes, which are molecules involved in rapid spatial cellular rearrangements: hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins, arabinoxylan, and pectic compounds. Using basic molecular techniques, we marked the transformations occurring within the cell and elucidated the mechanism triggered by growth in the water absence. Our general observations are as follows: 1) remodelling of the cell architecture after just 5 days of drought conditions; 2) tissue-specific responses for drought resistance; 3) drought triggers the aggregation or cross-linking of molecules (appearance of larger molecular mass fractions) and causes degradation or breakdown of components (appearance of low molecular masses); 4) changes in the elemental economy due to modifications in cellular assembly. Our finding of the deposition of un- and esterified homogalacturonans and arabinogalactan proteins indicates reconstruction of the cell as a means of preventing drought effects. A stress-induced higher level of unesterified HGs permits calcium cross-linking, which enhances rigidity and helps in intracellular water preservation. Additionally, the effect is intensified by root structural disorders related to the uptake and subsequent elements transport, whose levels also undergo disruption during drought.