Exogenous ABA Enhances the Antioxidant Defense System of Maize by Regulating the AsA-GSH Cycle under Drought Stress

Zizhu Jiang, Hengguang Zhu, Hanyu Zhu, Yuzhao Tao, Changzhuang Liu, Jiaqi Liu, Fuqiang Yang and Ming Li
Additional contact information
Zizhu Jiang: College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Hengguang Zhu: Qiqihar Agricultural Technology Extension Center, Qiqihar 161005, China
Hanyu Zhu: College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Yuzhao Tao: College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Changzhuang Liu: College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Jiaqi Liu: College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Fuqiang Yang: College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Ming Li: College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 5, 1-15

Abstract: When drought occurs during the maize-filling period, the probability of yield decline increases. Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a regulatory role in physiological and metabolic activities during plant development. However, its effect on the antioxidant system of maize leaves during the grain-filling stage is unclear. Maize plants (Zhengdan958) were used as an experimental material, and ABA was sprayed on the leaves during the grain-filling stage. The plants were placed under drought conditions to analyze the relationship between the ascorbate-glutathione (AsA-GSH) cycle and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) removal. Exogenous ABA significantly reduced the malondialdehyde content, relative electrolyte leakage, and H 2 O 2 under drought stress. This is similar to the exogenous ABA effect on the AsA-GSH cycle. Exogenous ABA upregulated the transcription of related genes and alleviated the inhibition of drought stress on the monodehydroascorbate reductase and dehydroascorbate reductase activities, thereby further increasing the ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase activities. It contributed to an increase in the AsA and GSH levels and inhibited the decrease in the AsA/dehydroascorbic acid and GSH/oxidized glutathione ratios. Therefore, exogenous ABA plays an important role in improving the antioxidant capacity and drought resistance physiology of maize by enhancing antioxidant enzyme activity and stabilizing the AsA and GSH redox state.

Keywords: maize; drought stress; abscisic acid; AsA-GSH cycle; gene expression (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/5/3071/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/5/3071/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:5:p:3071-:d:765371

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().