Chill-induced changes in fatty acid composition of tonoplast vesicles from hypocotyls of Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the changes induced by chilling on fatty acid composition of tonoplast vesicles from hypocotyls of Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. The 7 day-old control seedlings were grown at 25°C while treated seedlings were submitted to low temperatures (10°C and 4°C) for 4 days after 3 days germination. The chilling stress resulted in a differential inhibition of plant growth at 10°C and 4°C. Following chilling at 10°C and 4°C, the rate of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids increased under chilling stress. Our results suggest that the increase of unsaturated fatty acids content as well as the higher rate unsaturated/saturate fatty acidsmight be used by V. unguiculata plants as an adaptation mechanism likely to maintain the vacuolar membrane fluidity under low temperatures.