Drought-Induced Changes in Photosynthetic Membranes of Two Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Cultivars

---

I. M. Huseynova^*, S. Y. Suleymanov, S. M. Rustamova, and J. A. Aliyev

Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences, Patamdar Shosse 40, AZ 1073 Baku, Azerbaijan; fax: (99412) 497-5045; (99412) 438-1164; E-mail: aliyev-j@botany-az.org

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received July 19, 2007; Revision received April 14, 2009

---

Two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars contrasting in architectonics and differing in drought resistance, Azamatli-95 (short stature, vertically oriented small leaves, drought-tolerant) and Giymatli-2/17 (short stature, broad and drooping leaves, drought-sensitive), were studied. It was found that the content of CP I (115 kDa) and 63-kDa apoprotein P700 and also LHC II polypeptides increases slightly in the drought-resistant cv. Azamatli-95 under extreme water supply limitation, while their content decreases in drought-sensitive cv. Giymatli-2/17. The intensity of synthesis of α- and β-subunits of CF₁ (55 and 53.5 kDa) and 33-30.5 kDa proteins also decreases in the sensitive genotype. The intensity of short wavelength peaks at 687 and 695 nm sharply increases in the fluorescence spectra (77K) of chloroplasts from Giymatli-2/17 under water deficiency, and there is a stimulation of the ratio of fluorescence band intensity F687/F740. After exposure to drought, cv. Giymatli-2/17 shows a larger reduction in the actual PS II photochemical efficiency of chloroplasts than cv. Azamatli-95.

---

KEY WORDS: wheat genotypes, photosynthetic membrane, proteins, fluorescence, photosystems, water stress

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297909080124

---