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Endogenous Salicylic Acid Levels and Signaling Positively Regulate Arabidopsis Response to Polyethylene Glycol-Simulated Drought Stress

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Abstract

Salicylic acid (SA) functions in the plant response to drought stress were assessed using SA-altering Arabidopsis mutants, including snc1 (with constitutively high levels of SA) and its nahG-transformed plants (named as snc1/nahG, with a comparable SA level to the wild type), sid2 and transgenic line nahG (both with SA deficiency), and npr1-1 (with SA signaling blockage). The drought stress was simulated by polyethylene glycol (PEG)-6000 treatment. Compared with wild-type (wt) plants, the snc1 plants displayed obvious easing of PEG-induced growth inhibition, leaf water loss, and photosynthesis-related impairment, whereas in nahG, sid2, and npr1-1 mutants the effect was more severe. PEG stress reduced stomatal conductance, to a higher extent in the snc1 line, whereas it was lower in nahG, sid2, and npr1-1 lines as compared with the wt. The snc1 plants accumulated higher levels of H2O2 than the other genotypes tested. PEG stress increased activities of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase, but decreased activities of catalase in all lines tested, to a greater extent in snc1 and less in sid2, nahG, and npr1-1 relative to wt. Proline was significantly increased, especially in snc1 line at 6 % and higher PEG stress. Noticeably, the performance of snc1 under PEG stress was dependent on SA levels, as the expression of nahG in snc1 plants did not only significantly reduce SA levels, but largely reversed the above-mentioned parameters, as well as eliminated the drought tolerance. Based on these data, it was concluded that endogenous SA levels and signaling provided a protective role in the Arabidopsis response to PEG-simulated drought.

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Acknowledgments

We thank S. Herbert (Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts, Amherst) for comments on the manuscript. This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 31270446, 30570445), Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province (No. 2013020145), and Director Foundation of Experimental Centre, Shenyang Normal University (Syzx 201101).

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  1. College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Shenyang Normal University, No. 253, Huanghe North Street, Huanggu District, Shenyang, 110034, Liaoning, People’s Republic of China

    Qingqing He, Shiyang Zhao, Qunfei Ma, Yiyan Zhang, Linli Huang, Guangzhe Li & Lin Hao

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  1. Qingqing He
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  2. Shiyang Zhao
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Correspondence to Lin Hao.

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Qingqing He and Shiyang Zhao have contributed equally to this work.

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He, Q., Zhao, S., Ma, Q. et al. Endogenous Salicylic Acid Levels and Signaling Positively Regulate Arabidopsis Response to Polyethylene Glycol-Simulated Drought Stress. J Plant Growth Regul 33, 871–880 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-014-9438-9

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