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Nitric oxide is involved in the regulation of ascorbate and glutathione metabolism in Agropyron cristatum leaves under water stress

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Biologia Plantarum

Abstract

This study investigated the regulation of ascorbate and glutathione metabolism by nitric oxide in Agropyron cristatum leaves under water stress. The activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), L-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase (GalLDH) and γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-ECS), and the contents of NO, reduced ascorbic acid (AsA), reduced glutathione (GSH), total ascorbate and total glutathione increased under water stress. These increases were suppressed by pretreatments with NO synthesis inhibitors N G-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and 4-carboxyphenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (cPTIO). However, application of L-NAME and cPTIO to plants sufficiently supplied with water did not affect the activities of above mentioned enzymes and the contents of NO and above mentioned antioxidants. Pretreatments with L-NAME and cPTIO increased the malondialdehyde (MDA) content and electrolyte leakage of plants under water stress. Our results suggested that water stress-induced NO is a signal that leads to the upregulation of ascorbate and glutathione metabolism and has important role for acquisition of water stress tolerance.

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Abbreviations

APX:

ascorbate peroxidase

AsA:

reduced ascorbic acid

DHAR:

dehydroascorbate reductase

γ-ECS:

γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase

GalLDH:

L-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase

GR:

glutathione reductase

GSH:

reduced glutathione

MDA:

malondialdehyde

MDHAR:

monodehydroascorbate reductase

L-NAME-N G :

nitro-L-arginine methyl ester

cPTIO:

4-carboxyphenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide

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Acknowledgements

We appreciated financial support by the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Science (KZCX2-YW-443), National Scientific and Technological Support Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2008BAD98B08) and Personnel Foundation of Northwest A & F University. The first two authors contributed equally to this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Life Science, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, 712100, P.R. China

    C. Shan, R. Han & Z. Liang

  2. Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, 453003, P.R. China

    C. Shan & G. Xu

  3. China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, 100038, P.R. China

    F. He

  4. Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, 712100, P.R. China

    R. Han

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  1. C. Shan
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  2. F. He
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  3. G. Xu
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  4. R. Han
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  5. Z. Liang
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Correspondence to Z. Liang.

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Shan, C., He, F., Xu, G. et al. Nitric oxide is involved in the regulation of ascorbate and glutathione metabolism in Agropyron cristatum leaves under water stress. Biol Plant 56, 187–191 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-012-0040-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-012-0040-3

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