Changes in apoplastic carbohydrate concentrations and activities of carbohydrate-degrading enzymes were determined in crown tissues of oat (Avena sativa L., cv Wintok) during cold hardening. During second-phase hardening (؊3°C for 3 d) levels of fructan, sucrose, glucose, and fructose in the apoplast increased significantly above that in nonhardened and first-phase-hardened plants. The extent of the increase in apoplastic fructan during second-phase hardening varied with the degree of fructan polymerization (DP) (e.g. DP3 and DP4 increased to a greater extent than DP7 and DP > 7). Activities of invertase and fructan exohydrolase in the crown apoplast increased approximately 4-fold over nonhardened and first-phase-hardened plants. Apoplastic fluid extracted from nonhardened, first-phase-hardened, and second-phase-hardened crown tissues had low levels, of symplastic contamination, as determined by malate dehydrogenase activity. The significance of these results in relation to increases in freezing tolerance from second-phase hardening is discussed.Cold-hardening winter cereals such as rye (Secale cereale), wheat (Triticum aestivum), barley (Hordeum vulgare), and oat (Avena sativa) is generally accomplished by exposure to temperatures just above freezing. As early as 1935, Tumenov (cited by Trunova, 1965) reported that an additional phase of hardening by exposure of cold-hardened plants to nonlethal, below-freezing temperatures resulted in significant increases in cold hardiness. Tumenov called this 2PH. With a 2PH treatment, Trunova (1965) and Siminovich (cited by Steponkus, 1978) induced an increase in freezing tolerance of wheat significantly beyond that achieved from cold hardening above freezing (1PH). Olien (1984) reported similar results in rye and barley, and reported a decrease in the LT 50 of oats from Ϫ13°C with 1PH only to Ϫ18°C after a 3-d 2PH period at Ϫ3°C.After 2PH Trunova (1965) found decreased levels of fructan and increased levels of Glc, Fru, and Suc in whole crown tissue of wheat. He suggested that the sugar increase during 2PH was providing osmotic protection to cells in the over-wintering organ (crown) of the plant. Olien (1984), using a perfusion technique, reported an increase in apoplastic sugars during 2PH and suggested that these sugars helped prevent adhesion of ice to critical cellular tissue during freezing.In the present study we wanted to determine the percent distribution of fructan exohydrolase and invertase in the apoplast and symplast of oat crowns, and what the effect of 1PH and 2PH would be on their activities in the respective locations. Additionally, we wanted to determine if fructan was present in the apoplast and the effect of cold hardening on its presence. Finally, we wanted to re-examine the effect of cold hardening on simple sugar levels in the apoplast using a different technique than that used by Olien (1984).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Plant CultureSeeds of the oat (Avena sativa L.) cv Wintok were planted in Scotts Metromix 220 1 (Scotts-Sierra Horticultural Products Co...