Volume: 5, 2026
5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland:
ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT
Abstract number: P018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.P018
Published online: 22 April 2026
Priming with polyamine spermine modulates osmolytic parameters in Triticum aestivum L. infected with Fusarium culmorum
Tsvetina Nikolova*1, Dessislava Todorova1, Iskren Sergiev1, Elena Shopova1, Lilyana Brankova1 and Ivo Yanashkov2
1 Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. Georgi Bonchev Str., Bldg. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
2 Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnologies and Plant Protections “Nikola Poushkarov”, Shose Bankya 7, 1331 Sofia, Bulgaria
* Corresponding author: tnikolova00@bio21.bas.bg
This study investigates the protective function of the polyamine spermine (Spm) in altering the pool of total compatible osmolytic solutes of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in response to biotic stress. Two modes of pathogen inoculation with the fungus Fusarium culmorum (seed-inoculated and soil-inoculated) were analyzed to evaluate the accumulation of key osmolytes, including reducing sugars, free proline, and total osmolyte content in two timepoints – 30-day-old plants and 8-week-old plants. Our findings indicate that F. culmorum infection induces a pronounced stress response, marked by a substantial increase in free proline and reducing sugar concentrations, especially in seed-inoculated samples. This accumulation corresponds with a significant increase in the concentration of the total osmolytes, indicating an adaptive yet energy-demanding osmotic adjustment. Seed primed plants with 5 mM Spm before infection significantly reduced these increases. In both seed and soil infection schemes, Spm-pretreated plants preserved osmolyte levels closer to the control values than non-primed infected plants. The priming effects are more pronounced at the second timepoint. The data indicates that spermine induces a priming effect that enhances the physiological tolerance of wheat against biotic stress, by reducing the buildup of stress-responsive metabolites like proline, Spm probably lowers the plant’s metabolic burden, making it easier for the plant to maintain a stable balance during fungal pathogenesis. These findings show that polyamines could be useful as promising molecules in strategies for protecting crops and managing pests.
Acknowledgements: This research is supported by the Bulgarian National Science Fund under contract KP-06-Н86/6, dated 06 December, 2024.
Keywords: Fusarium culmorum; osmolytes; seed priming; spermine; Triticum aestivum L.
How to cite
Nikolova T., Todorova D., Sergiev I., Shopova E., Brankova L., Yanashkov I., 2026. Priming with polyamine spermine modulates osmolytic parameters in Triticum aestivum L. infected with Fusarium culmorum. In: 5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.P018