ABA improvement of antioxidant metabolism under water stress in two wheat cultivars contrasting in drought tolerance

Antioxidant metabolism was studied in two wheat cultivars PBW 343 (drought susceptible) and C 306 (drought tolerant) under exogenous ABA, water stress (WS) and ABA plus WS. C 306 showed lesser increases in ROS (superoxide anions) and protein carbonylation in shoots and roots under WS as compared to PBW 343. C 306 did not show increases in glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S-transferase, total glutathione under WS, while PBW343 showed such increases only at early stage, while at later stages of stress, the decline in levels of these parameters was improved on supplying ABA. Monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR) and dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) activity were not induced under ABA in both the cultivars but under WS MDHAR was induced only in C 306, while in case of DHAR greater increase was observed in C 306 than in PBW343. © 2014 Indian Society for Plant Physiology.