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Keywords:

  • Aquaporin;
  • drought;
  • embolism;
  • hydraulic conductance;
  • MIP;
  • olive;
  • PIP;
  • recovery

Abstract

To investigate the effects of drought and recovery on the transcript level of OePIP2.1 (a PIP2 aquaporin gene) in twigs, 2-year-old olive trees were subjected to a drought/rewatering treatment (the irrigation was suspended for a period of 4 weeks and restored for the following 4 weeks). Twig water potential, twig hydraulic resistance and incidence of embolisation in the twig were measured in parallel with gene expression under both drought stress and the following recovery. During drought, a decrease in twig water potential, an increase in twig hydraulic resistance and an increase in the extent of xylem vessel embolisation was observed in parallel with a decrease of aquaporin gene expression. Opposite trends were recorded during rewetting. A speculation on a possible contribution of OePIP2.1 aquaporin to modulate shoot embolism during drought and recovery is proposed.