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Hydrogen-rich water pretreatment alters photosynthetic gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, and antioxidant activities in heat-stressed cucumber leaves

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Abstract

Hydrogen gas (H2) has recently been recognized as an important plant bio-regulator, inducing tolerance to several abiotic stresses. However, any role for H2 in amelioration of high-temperature-induced stress remains largely unknown. We investigated the mechanism of hydrogen-rich water (HRW)-mediated enhancement of heat-tolerance in cucumber seedlings exposed to high-temperature stress. The 3 weeks seedlings were pretreated with 50 or 100% HRW for 7 days, the effects on photosynthesis, chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, electrolyte leakage, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant activity were examined when cucumber seedlings subjected for 3 days to heat stress treatment. With respect to samples treat with high temperature stress alone, HRW pretreatment remarkably alleviated stress-induced effects on the above parameters. Furthermore, after 3 days of treatment, HRW pretreatment also significantly increased the activities of antioxidative enzymes, promoted high-level accumulation of osmoprotectants, and upregulated HSP70 expression in cucumber leaves. All of these data suggest that pretreatment with exogenous HRW partially alleviated the detrimental effects of high-temperature stress on the growth of cucumber seedlings by improving the photosynthetic capacity, increasing the antioxidant response, and promoting the accumulation of HSP70 and osmolytes. Therefore, HRW pretreatment may improve cucumber seedlings heat-tolerance.

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Abbreviations

APX:

Ascorbate peroxidase

AsA:

Ascorbic acid

CAT:

Catalase

Chl:

Chlorophyll

Ci:

Intercellular CO2 concentration

D:

The fraction of absorbed light energy dissipated through non-photochemical quenching

E:

The fraction of excess absorbed light energy

ETR:

Electron transport rate

Fv/Fm:

Maximal quantum efficiency of Photosystem II

Fv′/Fm′:

The excitation capture efficiency of open centers

Gm:

Mesophyll conductance

Gs:

Stomatal conductance

GSH:

Glutathione

H2O2 :

Hydrogen peroxide

HRW:

Hydrogen-rich water

HSPs:

Heat shock proteins

HT:

High temperature

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

NBT:

Nitroblue tetrazolium

P:

The fraction of absorbed light energy utilized in Photosystem II photochemistry

Pn:

Net photosynthetic rate

POD:

Peroxidase

PPFD:

Photosynthetic photon flux density

PSII:

Photosystem II

qP:

Photochemical quenching

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

Tr:

Transpiration rate

WUE:

Water use efficiency

ΦPSII:

Quantum efficiency of Photosystem II

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Acknowledgements

This project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (J1210056).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China

    Qiuhong Chen, Xueqiang Zhao, Dekun Lei, Shubao Hu, Zhenguo Shen, Wenbiao Shen & Xiaoming Xu

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  1. Qiuhong Chen
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  2. Xueqiang Zhao
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  3. Dekun Lei
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Correspondence to Xiaoming Xu.

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Chen, Q., Zhao, X., Lei, D. et al. Hydrogen-rich water pretreatment alters photosynthetic gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, and antioxidant activities in heat-stressed cucumber leaves. Plant Growth Regul 83, 69–82 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-017-0284-1

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