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Mitigative effects of spermidine on photosynthesis and carbon–nitrogen balance of cucumber seedlings under Ca(NO3)2 stress

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Abstract

Ca(NO3)2 stress is one of the most serious constraints to plants production and limits the plants growth and development. Application of polyamines is a convenient and effective approach for enhancing plant salinity tolerance. The present investigation aimed to discover the photosynthetic carbon–nitrogen (C–N) mechanism underlying Ca(NO3)2 stress tolerance by spermidine (Spd) of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. cv. Jinyou No. 4). Seedling growth and photosynthetic capacity [including net photosynthetic rate (P N), stomatal conductance (Gs), intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), and transpiration rate (Tr)] were significantly inhibited by Ca(NO3)2 stress (80 mM). However, a leaf-applied Spd (1 mM) treatment alleviated the reduction in growth and photosynthesis in cucumber caused by Ca(NO3)2 stress. Furthermore, the application of exogenous Spd significantly decreased the accumulation of NO3 − and NH4 + caused by Ca(NO3)2 stress and remarkably increased the activities of N metabolism enzymes simultaneously. In addition, photosynthesis N-use efficiency (PNUE) and free amino acids were significantly enhanced by exogenous Spd in response to Ca(NO3)2 stress, thus promoting the biosynthesis of N containing compounds and soluble protein. Also, the amounts of several carbohydrates (including sucrose, fructose and glucose), total C content and the C/N radio increased significantly in the presence of Spd. Based on our results, we suggest that exogenous Spd could effectively accelerate nitrate transformation into amino acids and improve cucumber plant photosynthesis and C assimilation, thereby enhancing the ability of the plants to maintain their C/N balance, and eventually promote the growth of cucumber plants under Ca(NO3)2 stress.

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Abbreviations

GDH:

Glutamate dehydrogenase

Ci:

Intercellular CO2 concentration

GOGAT:

Glutamate synthase

GS:

Glutamine synthetase

Gs:

Stomatal conductance

ICDH:

Isocitrate dehydrogenase

NiR:

Nitrite reductase

NR:

Nitrate reductase

PAs:

Polyamines

P N :

Net photosynthetic rate

PNUE:

Photosynthesis nitrogen-use efficiency

Put:

Putrescine

Spd:

Spermidine

Spm:

Spermine

Tr:

Transpiration rate

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by China Agriculture Research System (CARS-25-C-03) and Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD).

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  1. Key Laboratory of Southern Vegetable Crop Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, People’s Republic of China

    Jing Du, Sheng Shu, Qiaosai Shao, Yahong An, Heng Zhou, Shirong Guo & Jin Sun

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  1. Jing Du
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Correspondence to Shirong Guo.

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Du, J., Shu, S., Shao, Q. et al. Mitigative effects of spermidine on photosynthesis and carbon–nitrogen balance of cucumber seedlings under Ca(NO3)2 stress. J Plant Res 129, 79–91 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-015-0762-3

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