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Chill-induced inhibition of photosynthesis was alleviated by 24-epibrassinolide pretreatment in cucumber during chilling and subsequent recovery

  • Original Papers
  • Published:
Photosynthetica

Abstract

To investigate whether brassinosteroids (BRs) could be used to alleviate chill-induced inhibition of photosynthesis in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L) during chilling and subsequent recovery, the effects of exogenously applied 24-epibrassinolide (EBR) on gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and antioxidant enzyme activity were studied. Cucumber plants were exposed to chilling under low light (12/8°C and 100 μmol m−2 s−1 PPFD) for 3 days and then recovered under normal temperature and high irradiance (28/18°C and 600 μmol m−2 s−1 PPFD) for 6 days. Chilling significantly decreased the net photosynthetic rate (P N) and stomatal conductance (g s), and increased rate of O2 ·− formation and H2O2 and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in cucumber leaves, but did not influence the optimal quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm). Chilling also decreased the effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (ΦPSII) and photochemical quenching (qP), but induced an increase in nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ), and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). High irradiance (600 μmol m−2 s−1) further aggravated the decrease in P N, g s, ΦPSII and qP, and enhanced the increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and accumulation in the first day of recovery after chilling. However, high irradiance induced a sharp decrease in Fv/Fm and NPQ, as well as the activities of SOD and APX on the first day of recovery. EBR pretreatment significantly alleviated chill-induced inhibition of photosynthesis during chilling stress and subsequent recovery period, which was mainly due to significant increases in g s, ΦPSII, qP and NPQ. EBR pretreatment also reduced ROS generation and accumulation, and increased the activities of SOD and APX during chilling and subsequent recovery. Those results suggest that EBR pretreatment alleviates the chill reduction in photosynthesis and accelerated the recovery rate mainly by increasing of the stomatal conductance, the efficiency of utilization and dissipation of leaf absorbed light, and the activity of the ROS scavenging system during chilling and subsequent recovery period.

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Abbreviations

APX:

ascorbate peroxidase

BRs:

brassinosteroids

EBR:

24-epibrassinolide

Fm′:

light-adapted maximum fluorescence

Fo :

minimal fluorescence of dark-adapted state

Fm :

maximal fluorescence of dark-adapted state

Fv/Fm :

optimal quantum yield of PSII

FM:

fresh mass

g s :

stomatal conductance

LT:

low temperature

LTBR:

low temperature

EBR:

pretreatment

MDA:

malondialdehyde

NT:

normal temperature

NTBR:

normal temperature/EBR-pretreatment

NPQ:

nonphotochemical quenching

ΦPSII :

effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry

P N :

net photosynthetic rate

PPFD:

photosynthetic photon flux density

qP :

photochemical quenching coefficient

Rubisco:

ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase

ROS:

reactive oxygen species

SOD:

superoxide dismutase

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Key Technology R&D Program (2008BADA6B02), National Natural Science Foundation of China (30860175), Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University in the China (NCET-08-0703) and Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province (2007GZN1666).

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  1. Department of Life Science, Jinggangshan University, Ji’an, 343009, P.R. China

    W. H. Hu, Y. Wu, J. Z. Zeng, L. He & Q. M. Zeng

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  1. W. H. Hu
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  2. Y. Wu
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  3. J. Z. Zeng
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  4. L. He
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  5. Q. M. Zeng
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Correspondence to W. H. Hu.

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Hu, W.H., Wu, Y., Zeng, J.Z. et al. Chill-induced inhibition of photosynthesis was alleviated by 24-epibrassinolide pretreatment in cucumber during chilling and subsequent recovery. Photosynthetica 48, 537–544 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-010-0071-y

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