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Mitochondrial alternative oxidase pathway helps in nitro-oxidative stress tolerance in germinating chickpea

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Abstract

Mitochondrial alternative oxidase (AOX) is an important protein that can help in regulating reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide in plants. The role of AOX in regulation of nitro-oxidative stress in chickpea is not known. Using germinating chickpea as a model system, we investigated the role of AOX in nitro-oxidative stress tolerance. NaCl treatment was used as an inducer of nitro-oxidative stress. Treatment of germinating seeds with 150 mM NaCl led to reduced germination and radicle growth. The AOX inhibitor SHAM caused further inhibition of germination, and the AOX inducer pyruvate improved growth of the radicle under NaCl stress. Isolated mitochondria from germinated seeds under salt stress not only increased AOX capacity but also enhanced AOX protein expression. Measurement of superoxide levels revealed that AOX inhibition by SHAM can enhance superoxide levels, whereas the AOX inducer pyruvate reduced superoxide levels. Measurement of NO by gas phase chemiluminescence revealed enhanced NO generation in response to NaCl treatment. Upon NaCl treatment there was enhanced tyrosine nitration, which is an indicator of nitrosative stress response. Taken together, our results revealed that AOX induced under salinity stress in germinating chickpea can help in mitigating nitro-oxidative stress, thereby improving germination.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge Pooja Singh for teaching the isolation of mitochondria to JJ and SBS.

Funding

This work was supported by Science and Engineering Research Board SERB Core grant CRG/2019/004534, DBT-RRSFP-SAHAJ, BT/INF/22/SP45162/2021, and Indo-Swiss grant BT/IN/SWISS/47/JGK/2018-2019 from the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. SBS acknowledge the Junior Research Fellowship from CSIR. JJ acknowledges the Junior Research Fellowship from the University Grants Commission.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute for Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India

    Josepheena Joseph, Sanjib Bal Samant & Kapuganti Jagadis Gupta

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  1. Josepheena Joseph
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  2. Sanjib Bal Samant
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  3. Kapuganti Jagadis Gupta
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Contributions

JGK conceptualized the idea and designed experiments. JJ and SBS performed experiments. JJ, SBS, and JGK wrote the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Kapuganti Jagadis Gupta.

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The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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Corresponding editor: Agepati S Raghavendra

This article is part of the Topical Collection: Plant Mitochondria: Properties and Interactions with Other Organelles.

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Joseph, J., Samant, S.B. & Gupta, K.J. Mitochondrial alternative oxidase pathway helps in nitro-oxidative stress tolerance in germinating chickpea. J Biosci 49, 53 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-024-00424-z

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