Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Responses of ethylene biosynthesis to saline stress in seedlings of eight plant species

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Plant Growth Regulation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The effect of salinity (100 mM NaCl) on ethylene metabolism in the early phase of vegetative development of several plant species has been investigated. The effects of saline treatment on shoot and root growth, ranged in sensitivity with respect to species: pepper (Capsicum annum L. cv Pairal) > tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv Malpica) > broccoli (Brassica oleraceae L. var. Italica Plenk. cv Marathon F1) ≅ lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. longifolia Lam. cv Inverna) ≅ melon (Cucumis melo L. cv Ruano F1, Roche type) > bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Gator Green 15) ≅ spinach (Spinacia oleracea L. cv Boeing) > beetroot (Beta vulgaris L. var. crassa (Alef.) J. Helm. cv Detroit). After saline treatment, ethylene production increased 4.2-fold in pepper shoots. Significant increases were also found in shoots of tomato, broccoli and bean. In contrast, salinity decreased shoot ethylene production rate in melon, spinach, and beetroot. In roots, the general effect of salinity was a decrease in ethylene production, especially in broccoli and bean, except in tomato root, in which a sharp increase in ethylene production occurred. In general, saline treatment increased total ACC concentration in both shoot and root in most of the plant species examined, which was related to plant sensitivity to salinity. For example, pepper shoot was the most sensitive to saline treatment, showing the highest fresh weight inhibition and the highest increase in total ACC concentration (8.5-fold), while, beetroot was less affected by salinity and showed no effect on total ACC concentration in response to saline treatment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abeles FB, Morgan PW, Saltveit ME (1992) Ethylene in plant biology, 2nd edn. Academic Press, San Diego

    Google Scholar 

  • Alvarez I, Tomaro ML, Benavides MP (2003) Changes in polyamines, proline and ethylene in sunflower calluses treated with NaCl. Plant Cell Tissue Organ Cult 74:51–59

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arbona V, Flors V, Jacas J, García-Agustín P, Gómez-Cadenas A (2003a) Enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant responses of Carrizo citrange, a salt-sensitive Citrus rootstock, to different levels of salinity. Plant Cell Physiol 44:388–394

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arbona V, Foó ML, Escrig P, Marco AJ, Jacas JA, Gomez-Cadenas A (2003b) Influence of abscisic acid and other plant growth regulators on citrus defense mechanism to salt stress. Spanish J Agric Res 1:59–65

    Google Scholar 

  • Bar Y, Apelbaum A, Kafkafi U, Goren R (1998) Ethylene association with chloride stress in citrus plants. Sci Hort 73:99–109

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barry CS, Blume B, Bouzayenm M, Cooper W, Hamilton AJ, Grierson D (1996) Differential expression of the 1-amino-cyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase gene family of tomato. Plant J 9:525–535

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bleecker AB, Kende H (2000) Ethylene: a gaseous signal molecule in plants. Ann Rev Cell Develop Biol 16:1–18

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Botia P, Carvajal M, Cerdá A, Martínez V (1998) Response of eight Cucumis melo cultivars to salinity germination and early vegetative growth. Agronomie 18:503–513

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bouraoui N, Grignon C, Zid E (1998) Effect of NaCl on root growth and root respiration in triticale (Triticosecale Wittmack). Cahiers Agric 7:372–376

    Google Scholar 

  • Cramer GR 1992 Kinetics of maize leaf elongation. III. Silver thiosulfate increases the yield threshold of salt-stressed plants, but ethylene is not involved. Plant Physiol 100:1044–1047

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • El-Iklil Y, Karrou M, Mrabet R, Benichou M (2002) Effets du stress salin sur la variation de certains métabolites chez Lycopersicon esculentum et Lycopersicon sheesmanii. Can J Plant Sci 82:177–183

    Google Scholar 

  • Espartero J, Pintor-Toro JA, Pardo JM (1994) Differential accumulation of S-adenosylmethionine synthetase transcript in response to salt stress. Plant Mol Biol 25:217–227

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fedina IS, Tsonev TS, Guleva EI (1993) The effect of pre-treatment with proline on the responses of Pisum sativum to salt stress. Photosynthetica 29:521–527

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Felix G, Regenass M, Spanu P, Boller T (1994) The protein phosphatase inhibitor calyculin A mimes elicitor action in plant cells and induces rapid hyperphosphorylation of specific proteins as revealed by pulse labeling with (33P)phosphate. Proc Natl Acad Sci 91:952–956

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Feng J, Barker AV (1992) Ethylene evolution and ammonium accumulation by tomato plants under water and salinity stresses. Part. II. J Plant Nutr 15:2471–2490

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Foolad MR (1999) Comparison of salt tolerance during seed germination and vegetative growth in tomato by QTL mapping. Genome 42:727–734

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ge L, Liu JZ, Wong WS, Hsiao WLW, Chong K, Xu ZK, Yang SF, Kung SD, Li N (2000) Identification of a novel multiple environmental factor-responsive 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase gene, NT-ACS2, from tobacco. Plant Cell Environ 23:1169–1182

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gersani M, Graham EA, Nobel PS (1993) Growth responses of individual roots of Opuntia ficus-indica to salinity. Plant Cell Env 16:827–834

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gómez-Cadenas A, Tadeo FR, Primo-Millo E, Talón M (1998) Involvement of abscisic acid and ethylene in the responses of citrus seedlings to salt shock. Physiol Plant 103:475–484

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gómez-Cadenas A, Arbona V, Jacas J, Primo-Millo E, Talon M (2003) Abscisic acid reduces leaf abscission and increases salt tolerance in Citrus plants. J Plant Growth Regulat 21:234–240

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hall MA, Smith AR (1995) Ethylene and the response of plants to stress. Bulg J Plant Physiol 21:71–79

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hamada AM, El-Enany AE (1994) Effect of NaCl salinity on growth, pigment and mineral contents, and gas exchange of broad bean and pea plants. Biol Plant 36:75–81

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Helmy YH, El-Abd SO, Abou-Hadid AF, El-Beltagy U, El-Betagy AS (1994) Ethylene production from tomato and cucumber plants under saline conditions. Egypt J Hortic 21:153–160

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kai C, Qian HG, Keutgen N, Janssens MJJ, Lenz F, Chen K, Hu GQ (1999) Effects of NaCl salinity and CO2 enrichment on pepino (Solanum muricatum Ait.). II. Leaf photosynthetic properties and gas exchange. Sci Hortic 81:43–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karstens GS, Ebert G, Ludders P (1993) Long-term and short-term effects of salinity on root respiration, photosynthesis and transpiration of Citrus rootstocks. Angewandte Botanik 67:1–2, 3–8

    Google Scholar 

  • Kasai K, Mori N, Nakamura C (1999) Changes in the respiratory pathways during germination and early seedling growth of common wheat under normal and NaCl-stressed conditions. Cereal Res Comm 26:217–224

    Google Scholar 

  • Khan NA (2003) NaCl-induced chlorophyll synthesis and associated changes in ethylene evolution and antioxidative enzyme activities in wheat. Biol Plant 47:437–440

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khavari-Nejad RA, Chaparzadeh N (1998) The effects of NaCl and CaCl2 on photosynthesis and growth of alfalfa plants. Photosynthetica 35:461–466

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kozlowski TT (1997) Responses of woody plants to flooding and salinity. Tree Physiol Monogr No 1:1–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Li ZG, Ni JD (2001) Studies on inhibition mechanism of germination by ethylene in salt-stressed alfalfa seeds. Chin J Appl Environ Biol 7:24–28

    Google Scholar 

  • Lutts S, Kinet JM, Bouharmont J (1996) Ethylene production by leaves of rice (Oryza sativa L.) in relation to salinity tolerance and exogenous putrescine application. Plant Sci 116:15–25

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lynch J, Epstein E, Läuchli A (1982) Na+/K+ relationship in salt-stressed barley. In: Scaife A (ed) Proceedings of the ninth international plant nutrition colloquium, Commonwealth Agricultural Bureau, Farnham Royal, Bucks, Warwick, England, pp 347–352

  • Morgan PW, Drew MC (1997) Ethylene and plant responses to stress. Physiol Plant 100:620–630

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Munns R (2002) Comparative physiology of salt and water stress. Plant Cell Env, 25:239–250

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Petruzzelli L, Coraggio I, Leubner-Metzger G (2000) Ethylene promotes ethylene biosynthesis during pea seed germination by positive feedback regulation of 1-aminocyclo-propane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase. Planta 211:144–149

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rodríguez HG, Roberts JKM, Jordan WR, Drew MC (1997) Growth, water relations, and accumulation of organic and inorganic solutes in roots of maize seedlings during salt stress. Plant Physiol 113:881–893

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sánchez-Aguayo I, Rodríguez-Galán JM, García R, Torreblanca J, Pardo JM (2004) Salt stress enhances xylem development and expression of S-adenosyl-l-methionine synthase in lignifying tissues of tomato plants. Planta 220:278–285

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schmutz U, Ludders P (1999) Physiological descriptors for salt stress susceptibility in Mangifera (mango) plant genetic resources. Plant Genetic Res Newslett 118:7–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Shannon MC, Grieve CM, Francois LE (1994) Whole-plant response to salinity. In: Wilkinson RD (ed) Plant environment reaction. Marcel Dekker, New York, pp 199–244

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang CY, Wang CY, Wellburn AR (1990) Role of ethylene under stress conditions. In: Alscher R, Cumming J (eds) Stress responses in plants: adaptation and acclimation mechanisms. Wiley-Liss, New York, pp 147–173

    Google Scholar 

  • Zapata PJ, Serrano M, Pretel MT, Amorós A, Botella MA (2003) Changes in ethylene evolution and polyamine profiles of seedlings of nine cultivars of Lactuca sativa L. in response to salt stress during germination. Plant Sci 164:557–563

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zapata PJ, Serrano M, Pretel MT, Amorós A, Botella MA (2004) Polyamines and ethylene changes during germination of different plant species under salinity. Plant Sci 167:781–788

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Conselleria de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación de la Generalitat Valenciana-Spain. Proyect GV-CAPA00-14. We thank Michael Jordan for the English correction of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dpto. Biología Aplicada, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Ctra. Beniel Km 3.2, 03312, Orihuela, Alicante, Spain

    Petro J. Zapata, M. Ángeles Botella, M. Teresa Pretel & Maria Serrano

Authors
  1. Petro J. Zapata
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. Ángeles Botella
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Teresa Pretel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Maria Serrano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maria Serrano.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zapata, P.J., Botella, M.Á., Pretel, M.T. et al. Responses of ethylene biosynthesis to saline stress in seedlings of eight plant species. Plant Growth Regul 53, 97–106 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-007-9207-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-007-9207-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation