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Effects of salt and alkali stress on growth, accumulation of oxalic acid, and activity of oxalic acid-metabolizing enzymes in Kochia sieversiana

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Biologia Plantarum

Abstract

Kochia sieversiana (Pall.) C.A. Mey. is a forage plant that can grow in extremely alkalinized grasslands at pH 10 or higher. Accumulation of a large amount of oxalic acid (OxA) is a primary characteristic of K. sieversiana. In our study, seedlings of K. sieversiana were exposed to the following conditions: non-stress, salinity (200 mM, a molar ratio of NaCl and Na2SO4 1:1), and alkali stress (200 mM, a molar ratio of NaHCO3 and Na2CO3 1:1). Growth, water content, content of organic acids (including OxA), Na+, and K+, and activities of some OxA metabolism-related enzymes were determined. Results show that glycolate oxidase was the key enzyme for OxA synthesis; however, the carboxylation of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) by PEP carboxylase (PEPC) probably played a minor role in the OxA-synthetic pathway. The pathway of L-ascorbic acid catabolism was not the main source of OxA accumulation, and the activity of oxalate oxidase (OxO) involved in OxA decomposition was not a limiting factor for inner OxA accumulation. Taken together, accumulation of a large amount of OxA are not related to the degradation and secretion function of OxO but largely depend upon its synthetic function.

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Abbreviations

GO:

glycolate oxidase

ICL:

isocitrate lyase

L-AA:

L-ascorbic acid

OA:

organic acid

OxA:

oxalic acid

OxO:

oxalate oxidase

PEPC:

phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, 130024, Changchun, P.R. China

    Y. Ma & L. X. Sheng

  2. Department of Basic Medicine, Changchun Medical College, 130031, Changchun, P.R. China

    Y. Ma & S. F. Zhang

  3. School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, 130024, Changchun, P.R. China

    X. P. Wang & D. C. Shi

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  1. Y. Ma
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  2. X. P. Wang
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  3. S. F. Zhang
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  4. D. C. Shi
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  5. L. X. Sheng
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Correspondence to L. X. Sheng.

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Acknowledgements: We thank the International Science Editing (ISE) for language editing. This work was supported by the open fund from National Key Laboratory of Northeast Normal University (130028691).

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Ma, Y., Wang, X.P., Zhang, S.F. et al. Effects of salt and alkali stress on growth, accumulation of oxalic acid, and activity of oxalic acid-metabolizing enzymes in Kochia sieversiana . Biol Plant 60, 774–782 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-016-0650-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-016-0650-2

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