Protein synthesis inhibitors block high-temperature acclimation in bell pepper leaves

Abstract

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L. 'Early Calwonder') leaf disks were vacuum-infiltrated in distilled water (control), anisomycin, aurintricarboxylic acid, cycloheximide, ethionine, norvanine, or puromycin to determine whether protein synthesis inhibitors blocked high-temperature acclimation. After infiltration, one-half of the leaf disks were placed in an incubator at 24C as a control, and the other half were kept in a water bath at 38C for 2 h to induce acclimation. Test tubes containing the disks then were placed in a water bath at 50.5C for 0,1,5,10,15,25,35, or 50 minutes. Thermotolerance was evaluated using electrolyte leakage. High-temperature acclimation was blocked in all six protein synthesis-inhibitor treatments. Only control disks infiltrated with distilled water acclimated. It seems that protein synthesis is required for high-temperature acclimation in bell pepper leaves.