Effect of frost hardening on lipid and Fatty Acid composition of chloroplast thylakoid membranes in two wheat varieties of contrasting hardiness.

Lipid and fatty acid composition of chloroplast thylakoid membranes was determined in two varieties of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), the hardy Miranovskaja and the sensitive Penjamo. Plants were grown at room temperature or under frost hardening conditions (1.5 degrees C). Changes in lipid and fatty acid composition of the isolated thylakoids could be related to the temperature dependence of light-stimulated proton uptake. Changes in the thylakoid phospholipids upon hardening of the two varieties did not show any direct relation with low temperature tolerance of light-dependent H(+) uptake; neither did changes in phospholipid fatty acid chain lengthening to 20 and 22 C-atoms in combination with increased desaturation up to 6 double bonds. Increased low temperature tolerance of light-induced H(+) uptake by hardening was correlated with the following glycolipid changes: maintained glycolipid level, a proportionally increased digalactosyl diglyceride fraction, a decrease in thylakoid monogalactosyl diglyceride, increased sulfolipid fatty acid chain lengthening (20 and 22 C-atoms), and increased sulfolipid desaturation (4-6 double bonds). We suggest that the above mentioned changes in glycolipids have adaptive value for low temperature tolerance of light-dependent proton uptake.