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The effect of 5-azacytidine on wheat seedlings responses to NaCl stress

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  • Published:
Biologia Plantarum

Abstract

The effect of 5-azacytidine (5-azaC) on the alleviation of damaging effects of NaCl treatment was studied in two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars differing in salt tolerance (salt-tolerant Dekang-961 and sensitive Lumai-15). The plants were pre-treated or not with 50 μM 5-azaC and then subjected to salt stress induced by 100 or 150 mM NaCl. Salinity caused reduction in biomass accumulation and increase in malondialdehyde content in root tissues in both cultivars, but less in pre-treated seedlings. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) in the roots of both cultivars increased during salt stress, but the rate of increase was higher in Dekang-961. Plants treated with 5-azaC had higher root SOD, CAT and POD activities under salt stress than untreated plants. Content of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) decreased in both cultivars under salt stress, and the level of demethylation was higher in Dekang-961 than that in Lumai-15. Moreover, the degree of methylation was lower in both cultivars under salt stress after 5-azaC application compared to only salt-treated groups. These findings suggested that 5-azaC could protect plants from salt stress.

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Abbreviations

5-azaC:

5-azacytidine

5mC:

5-methylcytosine

ANOVA:

analysis of variance

CAT:

catalase (EC 1.11.1.6)

CTAB:

cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide

MDA:

malondialdehyde

NBT:

nitroblue tetrazolium

POD:

peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7)

ROS:

reactive oxygen species

SOD:

superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1)

TBA:

thiobarbituric acid

TCA:

trichloroacetic acid

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Acknowledgements

This work was carried out with the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30821064) and the Chinese 111 Project (B06018).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of the MOE for Plant Development Biology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, P.R. China

    L. Zhong, Y. H. Xu & J. B. Wang

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  1. L. Zhong
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  2. Y. H. Xu
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  3. J. B. Wang
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Correspondence to J. B. Wang.

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Zhong, L., Xu, Y.H. & Wang, J.B. The effect of 5-azacytidine on wheat seedlings responses to NaCl stress. Biol Plant 54, 753–756 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-010-0135-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-010-0135-7

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