Correlation between heat stability of thylakoid membranes and loss of chlorophyll in winter wheat under heat stress

Determining mechanisms associated with heat tolerance and identifying screening methods are vital for improvement of heat tolerance in plants. The objectives of this study were to investigate the relationship between the heat stability of thylakoids and loss of chlorophyll in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under heat stress, and to examine whether chlorophyll loss can be used as an indicator of heat tolerance in wheat. We assessed heat tolerance and measured chlorophyll content in 12 cultivars of winter wheat at flowering stage during exposure to 16-d-long heat stress. Heat tolerance was assessed using fluorescence to determine the heat stability of thylakoids, and chlorophyll content was measured with a chlorophyll meter. Experiments were conducted under controlled conditions. Heat stress caused damage to thylakoids in all cultivars as indicated by the increase in the ratio of constant fluorescence (0) and the peak of variable fluorescence (P). Heat stress also caused a decline in chlorophyll content in most cultivars. A strong negative correlation between heat-induced increases in O/P and chlorophyll content was seen. The results suggest that heat-induced damage to thylakoids and chlorophyll loss are closely associated in winter wheat. Measurements of chlorophyll content with a chlorophyll meter could be useful for high throughput screening for heat tolerance in wheat.