Involvement of the ABA-and H_(2)O_(2)-Mediated Ascorbate-Glutathione Cycle in the Drought Stress Responses of Wheat Roots

Abscisic acid(ABA),hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2)) and ascorbate(AsA)–glutathione(GSH)cycle are widely known for their participation in various stresses.However,the relationship between ABA and H_(2)O_(2) levels and the AsA–GSH cycle under drought stress in wheat has not been studied.In this study,a hydroponic experiment was conducted in wheat seedlings subjected to 15%polyethylene glycol(PEG)6000–induced dehydration.Drought stress caused the rapid accumulation of endogenous ABA and H_(2)O_(2) and significantly decreased the number of root tips compared with the control.The application of ABA significantly increased the number of root tips,whereas the application of H_(2)O_(2) markedly reduced the number of root tips,compared with that under 15%PEG-6000.In addition,drought stress markedly increased the DHA,GSH and GSSG levels,but decreased the AsA levels,AsA/DHA and GSH/GSSG ratios compared with those in the control.The activities of the four enzymes in the AsA–GSH cycle were also markedly increased under drought stress,including glutathione reductase(GR),ascorbate peroxidase(APX),monodehydroascorbate reductase(MDHAR)and dehydroascorbate reductase(DHAR),compared with those in the control.However,the application of an ABA inhibitor significantly inhibited GR,DHAR and APX activities,whereas the application of an H_(2)O_(2) inhibitor significantly inhibited DHAR and MDHAR activities.Furthermore,the application of ABA inhibitor significantly promoted the increases of H_(2)O_(2) and the application of H_(2)O_(2) inhibitor significantly blocked the increases of ABA,compared with those under 15% PEG-6000.Taken together,the results indicated that ABA and H_(2)O_(2) probably interact under drought stress in wheat;and both of them can mediate drought stress by modulating the enzymes in AsA–GSH cycle,where ABA acts as the main regulator of GR,DHAR,and APX activities,and H_(2)O_(2) acts as the main regulator of DHAR and MDHAR activities.

Organic Acids Secreted from Plant Roots under Soil Stress and Their Effects on Ecological Adaptability of Plants

[Objective] In this study,the secretion of organic acids from plant roots under soil nutrient and water stress and the effects of organic acids on ecological adaptability of plants were investigated,which provided theoretical basis for improving the adaptability of plants to a variety of stress conditions.The results showed that,under nutrient and water stress,the content of organic acids secreted from plant roots increased significantly as a common active adaptive response.Organic acids could improve the activities of a variety of antioxidant enzymes,contents of osmotic regulatory substances,contents of chlorophyll and photosynthesis levels,promote nutrient absorption and transportation in plants,and ultimately contribute to plant growth and biomass accumulation,reduce the toxicity of stress conditions to plants and improve the stress resistance and adaptability of plants.

Effects of Different Kinds of Exogenous Auxin on the Growth of Rice Roots under Cadmium Stress

[Objective] The aim was to study the effect of different kinds of exogenous auxin on the growth of rice roots under cadmium stress.[Method] Oryza sativa L.cv Zhonghua No.11 was used as experimental materials to detect the effect of different kinds of exogenous auxin on the growth of rice roots.[Result] The results showed that 0.1 mmol/L Cd treatment could not only increase primary,adventitious and lateral root length but also lateral root number,whereas the shoot growth was inhibited.When supplemented with different concentrations of NAA,IAA,IBA and 2,4-D,the growth of root system varied and similar change trend had been found.At the auxin concentration of 10^-9-10^-7 mol/L in particular 10^-8 mol/L,all four kinds of auxin promoted the elongation growth of primary and adventitious roots,but inhibition was observed when auxin was higher than 10^-7 mol/L.The decreased shoot growth caused by Cd could not be counteracted by supplementing with the four kinds of auxin.However,at the auxin concentration of 10^-9-10^-8 mol/L,NAA could improve rice growth under Cd stress condition.The formation and development of lateral roots on primary and adventitious roots was not only similar but also different after applying the same concentration of four auxins.[Conclusion] The addition of suitable amount of auxin under cadmium stress （such as 10^-9-10^-8 mol/L of NAA and so on） could ease the damage of cadmium on plants to a certain extent.

Effects of Salt Stress on the Activity and the Amount of Tonoplast H^+-ATPase from Pea Roots

To study the function and adaptive mechanism of tonoplast H + ATPase under salt stress, pea ( Pisum sativum L.) seedlings were treated with different concentrations of salt (100-250 mmol/L NaCl) and with 100 mmol/L NaCl for different days (1-3 d). The ATP hydrolytic activity and the proton transport activity and the changes of the amount of tonoplast H + ATPase (subunit A) were measured. ATP hydrolytic activity of H + ATPase prepared from plants treated with 250 mmol/L NaCl was reduced by about 25% compared to that of control plants, but that of stressed plants treated with 100 mmol/L and 200 mmol/L NaCl was unchanged. The activity from plants treated with 100 mmol/L NaCl for up to 3 d was lower than that of control plants by 20%. But the proton transport activity was increased under the same salt stresses as above. These results showed that the changes of the hydrolytic activity and the proton transport activity were not in proportion and salt stress may cause the change of the coupling ratio of H + transport activity to ATP hydrolysis. The protein amount kept unchanged and reduced a little only when pea was treated with 100 mmol/L NaCl for 3 d. These results indicated that salinity stimulated the increase of the pump efficiency of the V_ATPase from pea roots, which was due to the change of the coupling ratio, but not due to the increase of ATP hydrolysis and the amount of V_ATPase.

Studies on the Secretion of Organic Acids from Roots of Two-year-old Larix olgensis under Nutrient and Water Stress

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the effects of nutrient and water stress on the secretion of organic acids from roots of two-year-old Larix olgensis. [Method] Different nutrient and water stress conditions were designed to investi- gate the types and quantities of organic acids secreted from roots of two-year-old L. olgensis. [Result] Under nutrient and water stress, the types of organic acids secreted from roots of two-year-old L. olgensis increased, which varied with different stress levels. In addition, nutrient and water stress also increased the secretory vol- ume of organic acids from roots of two-year-old L. olgensis. The increment in total amount of organic acids reached the maximum under Level 1 （high stress）. Among different types of organic acids, the increment in secretory volume of citric acid reached the maximum, followed by malic acid, while oxalic acid presented relatively small increment. Furthermore, the increment in secretory volume of these three organic acids all reached the maximum under Level 1. [Conclusion] The proportion of the secretory volume of each organic acid accounting for the total amount of organic acids varied slightly, but the overall order was unchanged.

Proteome analysis of alfalfa roots in response to water deficit stress

To evaluate the response of alfalfa to water deficit （WD） stress, WD-induced candidates were investigated through a proteomic approach. Alfalfa seedlings were exposed to WD stress for 12 and 15 days respectively, followed by 3 days re-watering. Water deficit increased H202 content, lipid peroxidation, DPPH （1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl）-radical scavenging activity, and the free proline level in alfalfa roots. Root proteins were extracted and separated by two-dimentional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis （2-DE）. A total of 49 WD-responsive proteins were identified in alfalfa roots; 25 proteins were reproducibly found to be up-regulated and 24 were down-regulated. Two proteins, namely cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase （APx2） and putative F-box protein were newly detected on 2-DE maps of WD-treated plants. We identified several proteins including agamous-like 65, albumin b-32, inward rectifying potassium channel, and auxin-independent growth promoter. The identified proteins are involved in a variety of cellular functions including calcium signaling, abacisic acid （ABA） biosynthesis, reactive oxygen species （ROS） regulation, transcription/translation, antioxidant/detoxification/stress defense, energy metabolism, signal transduction, and storage. These results indicate the potential candidates were responsible for adaptive response in alfalfa roots.

Physiological and transcriptomic analyses of roots from Malus sieversii under drought stress

Water deficit is one of the main limiting factors for apple growth and production.Root architecture plays an important role in drought tolerance of plants.However,little is known about the molecular basis of root system in apple trees under drought.In this study,we compared root morphology of two widely used rootstocks of apple(R3 and Malus sieversii)under drought.Our results suggested that M.sieversii is more tolerant to drought than R3,since M.sieversii had a higher ratio of root to shoot as well as root hydraulic conductivity under long-term drought conditions.We then performed whole-genome transcriptomic analysis to figure out the molecular basis of root responses in M.sieversii under drought.It was found that genes involved in transcription regulation,signaling or biosynthesis of hormones,and oxidative stress were differentially expressed under drought.Consistent with the gene expression profile,roots of M.sieversii had higher activities of peroxidase(POD)and superoxide dismutase(SOD)under drought,as well as higher content of abscisic acid(ABA)and lower content of auxin.Taken together,our results revealed the physiological and transcriptomic analyses of M.sieversii roots in response to drought.

Transcriptome analysis reveals the effects of alkali stress on root system architecture and endogenous hormones in apple rootstocks

Soil alkalinity is a major factor that restricts the growth of apple roots.To analyze the response of apple roots to alkali stress, the root structure and endogenous hormones of two apple rootstocks, Malus prunifolia (alkali-tolerant) and Malus hupehensis (alkali-sensitive), were compared. To understand alkali tolerance of M. prunifolia at the molecular level, transcriptome analysis was performed. When plants were cultured in alkaline conditions for 15 d, the root growth of M. hupehensis with weak alkali tolerance decreased significantly. Analysis of endogenous hormone levels showed that the concentrations of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and zeatin riboside (ZR) in M. hupehensis under alkali stress were lower than those in the control. However, the trend for IAA and ZR in M. prunifolia was the opposite. The concentration of abscisic acid (ABA) in the roots of the two apple rootstocks under alkali stress increased, but the concentration of ABA in the roots of M. prunifolia was higher than that in M. hupehensis. The expression of IAA-related genes ARF5, GH3.6, SAUR36, and SAUR32 and the Cytokinin (CTK)-related gene IPT5 in M. prunifolia was higher than those in the control, but the expression of these genes in M. hupehensis was lower than those in the control. The expression of ABA-related genes CIPK1 and AHK1 increased in the two apple rootstocks under alkali stress, but the expression of CIPK1 and AHK1 in M. prunifolia was higher than in M. hupehensis. These results demonstrated that under alkali stress, the increase of IAA, ZR, and ABA in roots and the increase of the expression of related genes promoted the growth of roots and improved the alkali tolerance of apple rootstocks.

Resistant Evaluation of Kiwifruit Rootstocks to Root Zone Hypoxia Stress

In this thesis, 10 species of kiwifruit rootstocks were treated with hydroponics hypoxia to study their root zone hypoxia tolerance. The results were as follows: growth of all kiwifruit seedlings was inhibited. The max length of new root, plant height, plant biomass, root activity, relative growth rate of leaves, and content of chlorophyll in leaves under root zone hypoxia stress obviously declined comparing with control. MDA content, relative conductance in the leaves and roots all increased in 10 kinds of kiwifruit seedlings. The sensitivities of 10 kinds’ kiwifruit seedlings to hypoxia stress were obviously different. With the method of subordinate function and cluster analysis, the adversity resistance coefficient of 10 kinds’ kiwifruit seedlings, were comprehensively evaluated in order to appraise their hypoxia-tolerance abilities. According to the results, “Hayward”, “Qinmei”, “Jinxiang”, “Kuoye”, “Huayou” kiwifruit seedlings held higher tolerance to root zone hypoxia stress, while “Hongyang” kiwifruit seedlings were sensitive to root zone hypoxia stress. The others, including “Xixuan”, “Maohua”, “Jinhua”, “Shanli” kiwifruit seedlings kept moderate resistant intensity to root zone hypoxia stress. The kiwifruit seedlings’ resistance order from strong to weak was: “Hayward” > “Qinmei” > “Jinxiang” > “Kuoye” > “Huayou” > “Xixuan” > “Maohua” > “Jinhua” > “Shanli” > “Hongyang”.

Effects of Chronic Stress of Cadmium and Lead on Anatomical Structure of Tobacco Roots

Cadmium （Cd2＋） is one of the major widespread environmental pollutants, and can cause serious problems to all organisms. Lead （Pb2＋） is another wide spread dangerous heavy metal. Tobacco is a popular growing economic crop in China. Most tobacco growing region soils contain excessive Cd2＋ and Pb2＋. To assess anatomic changes of tobacco roots under Cd2＋, Pb2＋, and Cd2＋＋pb2＋ chronic stress, a pot experiment was carried out in field. The tobacco seedlings with 6 leaves were transplanted to pots in which soil was placed. The amounts of Cd2＋ added to soil were 0, 3, 6, 10, 30, 60, and 100 mg kg-1 dry soil. The amounts of Pb2＋ added to soil were 0, 150, 300, 450, 600, 750, and 1 000 mg kg-1 dry soil. The amounts of Cd2＋＋Pb2＋ added to soil were 0＋0, 3＋150, 6＋300, 10＋450, 30＋600, 60＋750, and 100＋1000 mg kg-1 dry soil. The contents of Cd2＋ and Pb2＋ in root systems were determined by inductively coupled plasma, and the anatomical structure was studied by method of paraffin sectioning. The results revealed that the amounts of exchangeable Cd2＋ and Pb2＋ and carbonate bound Cd2＋ and Pbz＋ in soil increased with the amounts of Cd2＋ and Pb2＋ added to soil, and the contents of both Cd2＋ and Pb1＋ in roots were significantly increased along with stress time and the amounts of Cd2＋ and Pb2＋ added to soil. The growing of tobacco in Cd2＋ and Cd2＋＋Pb2＋ polluted soil for 50, 100, and 150 d resulted in some abnormal extemal morphological and anatomical changes in ripe region of lateral roots. All the abnormal roots had abnormal vascular cylinders, and the ratio of abnormal extemal morphological and anatomical changes of roots positively correlated with the Cd2＋ contents in roots and stress time. While, there were no abnormal external morphological and anatomical changes of roots under Pb2＋ stress. It was suggested that Cd2＋ stress could cause abnormal anatomic changes of roots, but Pb2＋ stress could not.

Effects of salt-alkali stress on active oxygen metabolism in roots of Spiraea × bumalda 'Gold Mound' and Spiraea × bumalda 'Gold Flame'

Under artificially-simulated complex salt-alkali stress, the levels of active oxygen metabolism in roots were studied using three-year-old cutting seedlings of Spiraea × bumalda ‘Gold Mound＇ and Spiraea × bumalda ‘Gold Flame＇. The present study aimed at exploring the antioxidant capacity in roots of spiraeas and revealing their adaptability to salt-alkali stress. Results indicate that the oxygen free radicals contents, electrolyte leakage rates and MDA contents in roots of Spiraea × bumalda ＇Gold Mound＇ and Spiraea × bumalda ＇Gold Flame＇ show an increasing tendency with the increases of the salinity and pH value, whereas the activities of superoxide dismutase （SOD）, peroxidase （POD） and catalase （CAT） all increased firstly and then decreased. With the increase in intensity of salt-alkali stress, the CAT activity in roots of Spiraea × bumalda ‘Gold Flame＇ is higher and the increasing extents in the oxygen free radicals contents, electrolyte leakage rates as well as MDA contents are lower compared with Spiraea × bumalda ‘Gold Mound＇, indicating that Spiraea × bumalda ‘Gold Flame＇ has a stronger antioxidant capacity.

Metabolic responses to combined water deficit and salt stress in maize primary roots

Soil water deficit and salt stress are major limiting factors of plant growth and agricultural productivity. The primary root is the first organ to perceive the stress signals for drought and salt stress. In this study, maize plant subjected to drought, salt and combined stresses displayed a significantly reduced primary root length relative to the control plants. GC-MS was used to determine changes in the metabolites of the primary root of maize in response to salt, drought and combined stresses. A total of 86 metabolites were measured, including 29 amino acids and amines, 21 organic acids, four fatty acids, six phosphoric acids, 10 sugars, 10 polyols, and six others. Among these, 53 metabolites with a significant change under different stresses were identified in the primary root, and the content of most metabolites showed down-accumulation. A total of four and 18 metabolites showed significant up-and down-accumulation to all three treatments, respectively. The levels of several compatible solutes, including sugars and polyols, were increased to help maintain the osmotic balance. The levels of metabolites involved in the TCA cycle, including citric acid, ketoglutaric acid, fumaric acid, and malic acid, were reduced in the primary root. The contents of metabolites in the shikimate pathway, such as quinic acid and shikimic acid, were significantly decreased. This study reveals the complex metabolic responses of the primary root to combined drought and salt stresses and extends our understanding of the mechanisms involved in root responses to abiotic tolerance in maize.

Variation Characteristics of Root Traits of Different Alfalfa Cultivars under Saline-Alkaline Stress and their Relationship with Soil Environmental Factors

Soil salinization is the main factor that threatens the growth and development of plants and limits the increase of yield.It is of great significance to study the key soil environmental factors affecting plant root traits to reveal the adaptation strategies of plants to saline-alkaline-stressed soil environments.In this study,the root biomass,root morphological parameters and root mineral nutrient content of two alfalfa cultivars with different sensitivities to alkaline stress were analyzed with black soil as the control group and the mixed saline-alkaline soil with a ratio of 7:3 between black soil and saline-alkaline soil as the saline-alkaline treatment group.At the same time,the correlation analysis of soil salinity indexes,soil nutrient indexes and the activities of key enzymes involved in soil carbon,nitrogen and phosphorus cycles was carried out.The results showed that compared with the control group,the pH,EC,and urease(URE)of the soil surrounding the roots of two alfalfa cultivars were significantly increased,while soil total nitrogen(TN),total phosphorus(TP),organic carbon(SOC),andα-glucosidase activity(AGC)were significantly decreased under saline-alkaline stress.There was no significant difference in root biomass and root morphological parameters of saline-alkaline tolerant cultivar GN under saline-alkaline stress.The number of root tips(RT),root surface area(RS)and root volume(RV)of AG were reduced by 61.16%,44.54%,and 45.31%,respectively,compared with control group.The ratios of K^(+)/Na^(+),Ca^(2+)/Na^(+)and Mg^(2+)/Na^(+)of GN were significantly higher than those of AG(p<0.05).The root fresh weight(RFW)and dry weight(RDW),root length(RL),RV and RT of alfalfa were positively regulated by soil SOC and TN,but negatively regulated by soil pH,EC,and URE(p<0.01).Root Ca^(2+)/Na+ratio was significantly positively correlated with soil TN,TP and SOC(p<0.01).The absorption of Mg and Ca ions in roots is significantly negatively regulated by soilβ-glucosidase activity(BGC)and acid phosphatase activity(APC)(p<0.05).This study improved knowledge of the relationship between root traits and soil environmental factors and offered a theoretical framework for elucidating how plant roots adapt to saline-alkaline stressed soil environments.

The influences of canopy temperature measuring on the derived crop water stress index

Crop water stress index(CWSI)is widely used for efficient irrigation management.Precise canopy temperature(T_(c))measurement is necessary to derive a reliable CWSI.The objective of this research was to investigate the influences of atmospheric conditions,settled height,view angle of infrared thermography,and investigating time of temperature measuring on the performance of the CWSI.Three irrigation treatments were used to create different soil water conditions during the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 winter wheat-growing seasons.The CWSI was calculated using the CWSI-E(an empirical approach)and CWSI-T(a theoretical approach)based on the T_(c).Weather conditions were recorded continuously throughout the experimental period.The results showed that atmospheric conditions influenced the estimation of the CWSI;when the vapor pressure deficit(VPD)was>2000 Pa,the estimated CWSI was related to soil water conditions.The height of the installed infrared thermograph influenced the T_(c)values,and the differences among the T_(c)values measured at height of 3,5,and 10 m was smaller in the afternoon than in the morning.However,the lens of the thermometer facing south recorded a higher T_(c)than those facing east or north,especially at a low height,indicating that the direction of the thermometer had a significant influence on T_(c).There was a large variation in CWSI derived at different times of the day,and the midday measurements(12:00-15:00)were the most reliable for estimating CWSI.Negative linear relationships were found between the transpiration rate and CWSI-E(R^(2)of 0.3646-0.5725)and CWSI-T(R^(2)of 0.5407-0.7213).The relations between fraction of available soil water(FASW)with CWSI-T was higher than that with CWSI-E,indicating CWSI-T was more accurate for predicting crop water status.In addition,The R^(2)between CWSI-T and FASW at 14:00 was higher than that at other times,indicating that 14:00 was the optimal time for using the CWSI for crop water status monitoring.Relative higher yield of winter wheat was obtained with average seasonal values of CWSI-E and CWSI-T around 0.23 and 0.25-0.26,respectively.The CWSI-E values were more easily influenced by meteorological factors and the timing of the measurements,and using the theoretical approach to derive the CWSI was recommended for precise irrigation water management.

Effects of Silicon Preparation on Root Physiological Activity of Rice Under Cadmium Stress

The rice Dongfu 159 was used for the potting experiment to simulate soil cadmium(Cd)stress,and four silicon preparations,Si-50-G and Si-60-G at a concentration of 0.20%and Si-T-G and Si-E-G at a concentration of 0.50%,were applied at the tillering stage and booting stage of rice,respectively.The cadmium content,root vitality,root malondialdehyde(MDA)content,and antioxidant enzyme activity of each part of rice plants were determined,in order to provide a theoretical reference for exploring the mechanism of silicon fertilizer on the mitigation of Cd-stressed plants.The results showed that under the condition of cadmium stress,silicon application could significantly increase the root vitality and antioxidant enzyme activity,reduce the content of MDA,and reduce the accumulation of cadmium in various parts of rice.The treatment of Si-T-G applied at the tillering stage was the most effective in increasing the root vitality of rice,which was significantly increased by 63.00%compared with the CK.The treatment of Si-50-G applied at the stage of booting was the most effective in reducing MDA content of rice roots,which was significantly reduced by 30.16%compared with the CK.The treatment of Si-60-G applied at the stage of booting was the most effective in increasing the root superoxide dismutase(SOD)activity,which was significantly increased by 39.36%compared with the CK.The treatment of Si-60-G applied at the tillering stage was the most effective in increasing the root peroxidase(POD)and catalase(CAT)activities,which were significantly increased by 64.66%and 51.52%,respectively,compared with the CK.The treatment of Si-T-G applied at the tillering stage was the most effective in reducing Cd content of rice roots,stems and grains,which were significantly reduced by 39.53%,61.19%and 43.41%,respectively,compared with the CK,and the treatment of Si-60-G was the most effective in reducing Cd content of leaves,which was significantly reduced by 53.40%compared with the CK.

Changes in Several Physiological and Biochemical Indices of Maize Seedling Roots Caused by Drought Stress

The changes in several physiological and biochemical indices of seedling roots of new maize variety Qingnong 8 were studied under the simulated drought condition with 18% PEG-6000 and water shortage. The results showed that under drought conditions, the contents of soluble protein and malonialdehy （MDA） and the activities of superoxide dismutase （SOD） and peroxidase （POD） in roots of maize seedlings significantly increased, and the increasing amplitude reduced after water shortage for 96 h. The re-watering treatment results after 48 h water shortage showed that the SOD and POD activities and the MDA content could recover to normal level, and the soluble protein content was lower than normal content. This study showed that the maize seedlings of Qingnong 8 suffered drought injury could grow normally after re-watering treatment.

An Analysis to the Driving Forces for Water and Salt Absorption in Roots of Maize Seedlings Under Salt Stress

When maize seedlings were subjected to salt stress,a decline in root xylem pressure was observed within seconds,followed by a gradual increase in Na＋ deposition in the seedlings.The magnitude of xylem pressure response was positively correlated with,but not proportional to the intensity of the stress.A continuous recording of the xylem pressure profile showed that self-regulation of the xylem pressure existed before and after the imposition of salt stress when the environmental conditions were relatively stable.The salt induced increase in xylem tension dominated the total water potential of the plant when the salt stress was mild,but the osmotic potential became more prominent when the NaCl concentration in the root bathing solution was raised to over 100 mol m-3.The average transpiration rate of the seedlings dropped by 40% when the NaCl concentration in the root ambient was increased to 150 mol m-3.Although salt stress resulted in the decline of both the xylem pressure potential and the osmotic potential in the root xylem,the changes in the total water potential of the root xylem solution were always smaller than the changes in the water （osmotic） potentials of the solution bathing the root.An analysis to the water relations of maize seedlings showed that not only the water potential components,but the radial reflection coefficient of the roots was also dependent on the level of salinity.When the NaCl level in the root bathing solution was raised from 25 to 150 mol m-3,the radial reflection coefficient of the root declined from 0.43 to 0.31.This small change resulted in a remarkable increase in the normalised relative NaCl absorption by 2.4 times,indicating that the radial reflection coefficient of root played a very important role in regulating the absorption of NaCl in maize seedlings under salt stress.

Effects of Calcium on ATPase Activity and Lipid omposition of Plasma Membranes from Wheat Roots Under Aluminum Stress

Effects of calcium on ATPase activities, lipid contents, and fatty acid compositions of plasma membrane from wheat roots were assayed under aluminum stress. The results showed that the increase of calcium concentration in the nutrient solution increased the activity of H + ATPase and the phospholipid content, decreased the activity of Ca 2+ ATPase and the galactolipid of plasma membrane. Owing to the decrease of linolenic acid content, the index of unsaturated fatty acid (IUFA) and index of double bond (DBI) decreased in Altas66. The IUFA and DBI of plasma membrane from Scout66 roots increased because its linolenic acid content increased obviously and its palmitic acid content decreased apparently.

Carbon unloading in roots in relation to root senescence in Cercis chinensis seedlings under drought stress

When Cercis chinensis seedlings suffered from drought treatment, net photosynthetic rates had been significantly reduced at the end of the drought treatment. Compared with the control, the activities of acid invertases in roots had increased 5 and 11 days after drought treatment. Seventeen days after drought treatment, the activities of acid invertases in roots were significantly decreased, while activities of alkaline invertases in roots had also been significantly reduced. As the moisture in culture media decreased, so the activities of sucrose synthases in leaves decreased slightly. In roots, their activities had significantly increased 5 and 11 days after drought treatment. The contents of fructose in roots reduced as the moisture in culture media decreased and 11 and 17 days after drought treatment the reduction was significant. The content of glucose in roots clearly did not change as drought stress occurred further, but was still less than that in the control seedlings. Similarly, the content of sucrose reduced as the moisture in culture media decreased. At the beginning of the drought stress, the content of sucrose was significantly higher than that in the control and afterwards there were no differences between drought-treated seedlings and the control. The gradient of the sucrose content between leaves and roots was 0.0982 mg.g^-1 FW 17 days after drought treatment, while the gradient of the seedlings under normal condition was 1.3832 mg.g^-1 FW. The sucrose concentration gradient reduced by 92.9%. The reduction in the sucrose content gradient under drought stress decreased the sucrose partitioning in roots. Therefore, our results support the hypothesis of‘shared control＇.

The eff ect of Rhizophagus irregularis on salt stress tolerance of Elaeagnus angustifolia roots

We assessed the eff ects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF)Rhizophagus irregularis inoculation on salt stress tolerance in roots of the drought-tolerant plant Elaeagnus angustifolia.We studied a plant growth index,spore density and hyphal length density of AMF,the Na+contents and ultrastructure of root cells,as well as rhizosphere soil enzyme activities of mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal E.angustifolia seedlings under diff erent salt stress.Under salt stress,growth of E.angustifolia with mycorrhizal inoculation was higher than that of non-inoculated treatments.The spore density and hyphal length density decreased signifi cantly under salt stress in rhizosphere soil of mycorrhizal E.angustifolia seedlings(p<0.05).The root cells of E.angustifolia seedlings inoculated with R.irregularis at 300 mmol L−1 salt had more organelles,greater integrity,and lower root Na+contents than those of non-inoculated seedlings.In addition,the results showed notably higher activities of catalase,phosphatase,urease and saccharase in rhizosphere soil of the mycorrhizal seedlings in response to salinity compared to those of the non-mycorrhizal seedlings.Therefore,AMF inoculation could enhance salt stress tolerance in roots of E.angustifolia.