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Effects of hematin and carbon monoxide on the salinity stress responses of Cassia obtusifolia L. seeds and seedlings

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Abstract

Aims

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the mechanism of carbon monoxide (CO) and hematin in alleviating the inhibition of Cassia obtusifolia seeds and seedlings. NaCl (100 mM) was used to mimic salinity stress in a series of experiments.

Methods

Varying combinations of CO in a saturated aqueous solution and hematin (1.0 μM) were added to seeds and seedlings under salinity stress. Seed germination indices and seedling parameters were investigated.

Results

Seed germination and seedling growth were significantly inhibited under salinity stress. NaCl-induced inhibitory effects on seed germination and seedling growth were ameliorated by hematin or the CO aqueous solution. Addition of 1.0 μM hematin or 5 % CO-saturated aqueous solution to seeds and seedlings significantly alleviated damage to the plant cells under salinity stress. Hematin and the CO aqueous solution enhanced chlorophyll concentration, total soluble sugars, free proline, and soluble protein, and improved photosystem II (PSII) photochemical efficiency levels, PSII actual photochemical efficiency, and the photochemical quench coefficient. In contrast, the non-photochemical quenching coefficient decreased. Hematin and the CO aqueous solution also enhanced the activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione reductase, thus alleviating oxidative damage, as indicated by decreases in hiobarbituric acid reactive substances, hydrogen peroxide concentration, relative conductivity, and lipoxygenase activity. Heme oxygenase (HO) activity was increased by hematin treatment. Hematin may contribute to endogenous HO-derived CO, since the addition of zinc protoporphyrin IX or hemoglobin reversed the protective effects conferred by hematin specified above.

Conclusions

Based on the experimental results, we conclude that hematin and CO induce advantageous effects on the attenuation of salt-stress inhibition of C. obtusifolia seeds and seedlings and alleviate oxidative damage by conferring beneficial cytoprotection and activating anti-oxidant enzymes.

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Abbreviations

CO:

carbon monoxide

H:

hematin

HO:

heme oxygenase

Hb:

hemoglobin

ZnPPIX:

zinc protoporphyrin IX

BV-IXα:

biliverdin-IXα

Gi:

germination index

Gr:

germination rate

Gv:

germination vigor

Vi:

vigor index

Chl:

Chlorophyll

F v/F m :

photochemical efficiency of photosystem II

\( F_v^{\prime }/F_m^{\prime } \) :

photochemical efficiency

ΦPSII:

PSII actual photochemical efficiency

qP :

photochemical quench coefficient

NPQ:

no-photochemical quenching coefficient

ROS:

reactive oxygen species

TBARS:

thiobarbituric acid reactive substances

H2O2 :

hydrogen peroxide

LOX:

lipoxygenase

NBT:

nitroblue tetrazolium

SOD:

superoxide dismutase

POD:

peroxidase

CAT:

catalase

APX:

ascorbate peroxidase

GR:

glutathione reductase.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the National Natural Science Foundation of China for their financial support (Grant Nos. 30560025 and 31060069).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory (Ministry of Education) of Eco-environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, People’s Republic of China

    Chunping Zhang & Ping He

  2. Chongqing Key Laboratory of Plant Ecology and Resources Research for Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, People’s Republic of China

    Chunping Zhang & Ping He

  3. Department of Biology and Center for Chinese Medicine Research, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, SAR, 999077, People’s Republic of China

    Yicun Li

  4. Laboratory Center, Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, 221002, People’s Republic of China

    Fenggang Yuan

  5. School of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, People’s Republic of China

    Shijun Hu

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  1. Chunping Zhang
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  2. Yicun Li
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  3. Fenggang Yuan
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  4. Shijun Hu
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  5. Ping He
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Correspondence to Ping He.

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Zhang, C., Li, Y., Yuan, F. et al. Effects of hematin and carbon monoxide on the salinity stress responses of Cassia obtusifolia L. seeds and seedlings. Plant Soil 359, 85–105 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-012-1194-7

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