Accumulation and disappearance of dehydrins and sugars depending on freezing tolerance of winter wheat plants at different developmental phases

Several heat-stable dehydrins with mol. wts of 209, 196, 66, 50 and 41 kD characteristic of hardened winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants were detected by PAGE and Western blotting. These proteins together with sugars were accumulated under field conditions during low temperature adaptation and disappeared during spring. Their content depended on developmental phase and was connected with plant winter tolerance. Seemingly, more tolerant winter wheat plants have more effective mechanism of additive action of these protecting compounds.