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Osmotic solute responses of mycorrhizal citrus (Poncirus trifoliata) seedlings to drought stress

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Abstract

This study investigated the accumulation of osmotic solutes in citrus (Poncirus trifoliata) seedlings colonized by Glomus versiforme subjected to drought stress or kept well watered. Development of mycorrhizae was higher under well watered than under drought-stressed conditions. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) seedlings accumulated more soluble sugars, soluble starch and total non-structural carbohydrates in leaves and roots than corresponding non-AM seedlings regardless of soil-water status. Glucose and sucrose contents of well-watered and drought-stressed roots, fructose contents of well-watered roots and sucrose contents of drought-stressed leaves were notably higher in AM than in non-AM seedlings. K+ and Ca2+ levels in AM leaves and roots were greater than those in non-AM leaves and roots, while AM symbiosis did not affect the Mg2+ level. AM seedlings accumulated less proline than non-AM seedlings. AM symbiosis altered both the allocation of carbohydrate to roots and the net osmotic solute accumulations in response to drought stress. It is concluded that AM colonization enhances osmotic solute accumulation of trifoliate orange seedlings, thus providing better osmotic adjustment in AM seedlings, which did not correlate with proline but with K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, glucose, fructose and sucrose accumulation.

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Abbreviations

AM:

Arbuscular mycorrhizal

AMF:

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

DS:

Drought-stressed

Ψ :

Leaf water potential

RWC:

Relative water content

NSC:

Total non-structural carbohydrates

WW:

Well-watered

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Ministry of Science and Technology, P.R. China (2002EP090016; 2003EP090018; 2004EP090019) as well as Scientific and Developmental Fund, Yangtze University (39210264).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Horticulture and Gardening, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei Province, 434025, People’s Republic of China

    Qiang-Sheng Wu, Ying-Ning Zou & Gui-Yuan Wang

  2. College of Horticulture and Forestry, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430070, People’s Republic of China

    Qiang-Sheng Wu & Ren-Xue Xia

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  1. Qiang-Sheng Wu
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  2. Ren-Xue Xia
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  3. Ying-Ning Zou
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  4. Gui-Yuan Wang
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Correspondence to Qiang-Sheng Wu.

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Communicated by W. Horst.

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Wu, QS., Xia, RX., Zou, YN. et al. Osmotic solute responses of mycorrhizal citrus (Poncirus trifoliata) seedlings to drought stress. Acta Physiol Plant 29, 543–549 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-007-0065-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-007-0065-y

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