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Brassinosteroids protect photosynthesis and antioxidant system of eggplant seedlings from high-temperature stress

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Abstract

The effects of 24-epibrassinolide under high temperature in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) seedlings were studied by investigating the plant growth, chlorophyll content, photosynthesis and antioxidant systems. High temperature significantly inhibited the plant growth and markedly decreased the chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate, while it increased intercellular CO2 concentration. In a similar manner, high temperature also decreased significantly maximum quantum efficiency of PSII, potential photochemical efficiency, the quantum efficiency of PSII, photochemical quenching, the excitation capture efficiency of open centers, and increased non-photochemical quenching. Application of 0.05–0.2 μM EBR remarkably promoted the plant growth and alleviated high-temperature-induced inhibition of photosynthesis. Under high temperature, reactive oxygen species levels and lipid peroxidation were markedly increased, which were remarkably inhibited by application of 0.05–0.2 μM EBR. The activities of antioxidative enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase, and contents of ascorbic acid and reduced glutathione were significantly increased during high-temperature treatments, and these increases were more pronounced than those of EBR at 0.05–0.2 μM treatment. The EBR treatment also greatly enhanced contents of proline, soluble sugar and protein under high-temperature stress. Taken together, it can be concluded that 0.05–0.2 μM EBR could alleviate the detrimental effects of high temperatures on plant growth by increasing photosynthetic efficiency and enhancing antioxidant enzyme systems. Addition of 0.1 μM EBR had the best ameliorative effect against high temperature, while the addition of 0.4 μM EBR had no significant effects.

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Abbreviations

AsA:

Ascorbic acid

BRs:

Brassinosteroids

CAT:

Catalase

Chl:

Chlorophyll

C i :

Intercellular CO2 concentration

E :

Transpiration rate

EBR:

24-Epibrassinolide

Fm:

Maximal fluorescence

Fo:

Minimal fluorescence

Fv/Fm:

Maximal quantum efficiency of PSII

Fv′/Fm′:

The excitation capture efficiency of open centers

Fv/Fo:

Potential photochemical efficiency of PSII

g s :

Stomatal conductance

GSH:

Reduced glutathione

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

NBT:

Nitroblue tetrazolium

NPQ:

Non-photochemical quenching

P N :

Net photosynthetic rate

PSII:

Photosystem II

ΦPSII:

Quantum efficiency of PSII

O ·–2 :

Superoxide radical

POD:

Peroxidase

qp :

Photochemical quenching

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by China Research System (CARS-25) and Shanghai Committee of Science and Technology (123919N0200).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Horticultural Research Institute, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Protected Horticultural Technology, Shanghai, 201106, China

    Dingshi Zha

  2. Horticultural Research Institute, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Protected Horticultural Technology, Shanghai, 201403, China

    Xuexia Wu, Zongwen Zhu & Hui Zhang

  3. Agricultural Information Institute of Science and Technology, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Digital Agriculture, Shanghai, 201403, China

    Xinfeng Yao & Jianlin Chen

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  1. Xuexia Wu
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  2. Xinfeng Yao
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  3. Jianlin Chen
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  5. Hui Zhang
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Correspondence to Dingshi Zha.

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Communicated by P. K. Nagar.

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Wu, X., Yao, X., Chen, J. et al. Brassinosteroids protect photosynthesis and antioxidant system of eggplant seedlings from high-temperature stress. Acta Physiol Plant 36, 251–261 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-013-1406-7

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