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Study on pathway and characteristics of ion secretion of salt glands of Limonium bicolor

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Abstract

Recretohalophytes with specialized salt-secreting structures, including salt glands and salt bladders, can secrete excess salts from plant tissues and enhance salinity tolerance of plants. However, the pathway and property of salt secretion by the salt gland has not been elucidated. In the article, Limonium bicolor Kuntze was used to investigate the pathway and characteristics of salt secretion of salt gland. Scanning electron microscope micrographs showed that each of the secretory cells had a pore in the center of the cuticle, and the rice grain-like secretions were observed above the pore. The chemical composition of secretions from secretory pores was mainly NaCl using environmental scanning electron microscope technique. Non-invasive micro-test technology was used to directly measure ion secretion rate of salt gland, and secretion rates of Na+ and Cl− were greatly enhanced by a 200-mmol/L NaCl treatment. However, epidermal cells and stoma showed little secretion of ions. In conclusion, our results provide evidence that the salt glands of L. bicolor have four secretory pores and that NaCl is secreted through these pores of salt gland.

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Abbreviations

DM:

Dry mass

EDS:

Energy dispersive spectroscopy

ESEM:

Environmental scanning electron microscope

FS:

Freeze substitution

HPF:

High-pressure freezing

NMT:

Non-invasive micro-test technology

SD:

Standard deviation

SEM:

Scanning electron microscope

TEM:

Transmission electron microscope

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Li Chen (Electron Microscopy Laboratory, School of Physics, Peking University, Haidian, Beijing, 100871, P.R. China) for technical assistance in ESEM analysis. Our TEM and SEM work was performed at the Center for Bio-imaging, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. We also thank Dr. Yue Xu and his team from Xuyue (Beijing) Sci. and Tech. Co., Ltd. (http://xuyue.net) for their professional advice and technical support for Na+, K+, and Cl− flux measurements using NMT. This research was supported by the NSFC (National Natural Science Research Foundation of China, project No. 30870138 and No. 31070158), key projects in the National Science and Technology Pillar program during the eleventh five-year plan period (2009BADA7B05), Programs Foundation of Ministry of Education of China (20123704130001) band program for scientific research innovation team in colleges and universities of Shandong province.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Research, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China

    Zhongtao Feng, Qiuju Sun, Yunquan Deng & Baoshan Wang

  2. National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang, China

    Shufeng Sun & Jianguo Zhang

  3. Center for Bio-imaging, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang, 100101, China

    Shufeng Sun & Jianguo Zhang

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  1. Zhongtao Feng
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  2. Qiuju Sun
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Correspondence to Baoshan Wang.

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Communicated by J. Kovacik.

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Feng, Z., Sun, Q., Deng, Y. et al. Study on pathway and characteristics of ion secretion of salt glands of Limonium bicolor . Acta Physiol Plant 36, 2729–2741 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-014-1644-3

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