Ecophysiological response of Crambe maritima to airborne and soil-borne salinity

Background and Aims

There is a need to evaluate the salt tolerance of plant species that can be cultivated as crops under saline conditions. Crambe maritima is a coastal plant, usually occurring on the driftline, with potential use as a vegetable crop. The aim of this experiment was to determine the growth response of Crambe maritima to various levels of airborne and soil-borne salinity and the ecophysiological mechanisms underlying these responses.

Methods

In the greenhouse, plants were exposed to salt spray (400 mm NaCl) as well as to various levels of root-zone salinity (RZS) of 0, 50, 100, 200 and 300 mm NaCl during 40 d. The salt tolerance of Crambe maritima was assessed by the relative growth rate (RGR) and its components. To study possible salinity effects on the tissue and cellular level, the leaf succulence, tissue Na⁺ concentrations, Na⁺ : K⁺ ratio, net K⁺/Na⁺ selectivity, N, P, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, proline, soluble sugar concentrations, osmotic potential, total phenolics and antioxidant capacity were measured.

Key Results

Salt spray did not affect the RGR of Crambe maritima. However, leaf thickness and leaf succulence increased with salt spray. Root zone salinities up to 100 mm NaCl did not affect growth. However, at 200 mm NaCl RZS the RGR was reduced by 41 % compared with the control and by 56 % at 300 mm NaCl RZS. The reduced RGR with increasing RZS was largely due to the reduced specific leaf area, which was caused by increased leaf succulence as well as by increased leaf dry matter content. No changes in unit leaf rate were observed but increased RZS resulted in increased Na⁺ and proline concentrations, reduced K⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ concentrations, lower osmotic potential and increased antioxidant capacity. Proline concentrations of the leaves correlated strongly (r = 0·95) with RZS concentrations and not with plant growth.

Conclusions

Based on its growth response, Crambe maritima can be classified as a salt spray tolerant plant that is sensitive to root zone salinities exceeding 100 mm NaCl.     

A new tip homolog, <Emphasis Type="Italic">ShTIP</Emphasis>, from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salicornia</Emphasis> shows a different involvement in salt stress compared to that of TIP from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis</Emphasis>

To obtain an insight into the comprehensive molecular characteristics of the salt tolerance mechanism, we performed a screening for salt inducible genes in a halophytic plant, Salicornia herbacea, using mRNA differential display. A comparative analysis of gene expression in Salicornia grown in control and salt-stressed conditions led to the detection of a gene that was induced by salt. Both sequence analysis and a subsequent database search revealed that this gene was highly homologous to tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIPs) from a variety of plant species. This gene, designated as ShTIP, is 1014 bp in size and contains a coding region of 762 nucleotides, which encodes a protein of 254 amino acids. Northern blot analysis revealed that ShTIP was predominantly expressed in shoots under normal conditions. However, salt stress induced high expression of ShTIP in both the shoots and roots. The expression of ShTIP in a salt-sensitive calcineurin-deficient yeast mutant (cnbΔ) resulted in a resistance to the high salt conditions. In addition, we compared the expression of a TIP gene in Arabidopsis with that of ShTIP under different conditions and found that the Salicornia TIP has a different regulatory mechanism for adapting to salt stress conditions compared with the glycophyte Arabidopsis TIP. These results indicate that ShTIP plays an important role in salt tolerance.     

异子蓬PEPC基因原核表达及其重组菌在非生物胁迫下的耐受力解析

该研究在Escherichia coli Transetta（DE3）中表达了C₄盐生植物异子蓬的磷酸烯醇式丙酮酸羧化酶基因（PEPC）,并进行了酶学特性及非生物胁迫响应分析,以期初步阐明PEPC基因在非生物胁迫下的生物学功能,为异子蓬PEPC的非生物胁迫的抗性生理研究提供参考依据。基于5′-RACE技术获得异子蓬PEPC全长基因（GenBank登录号为KP985714）,构建了E.coli Transetta::pGEX-4T-1-PEPC重组菌株。通过分光光度法和酶联免疫吸附技术（ELISA）分别测定了PEPC重组蛋白的酶活和含量,并检测E.coli Transetta::pGEX-4T-1-PEPC重组菌株在非生物胁迫下的耐受性。生物信息学分析发现,该PEPC基因的cDNA全长为2 901 bp,编码966个氨基酸,与甜菜（Beta vulgaris）PEPC的氨基酸序列一致性达90%,具有PEPC的典型保守结构域（PEPcase）以及VlTAHPTQsiRR和VMIGYSDSgKDAG活性位点;PEPC蛋白属PEPC-1型的不含信号肽的非分泌型亲水蛋白。Western blot结果显示,融合GST的PEPC蛋白的分子量约130~140 kD;在37 ℃用0.8 mmol/L IPTG诱导E.coli Transetta::pGEX-4T-1-PEPC重组菌株显示出更高的PEPC酶活及含量,而且E.coli Transetta::pGEX-4T-1-PEPC重组菌在200~800 mmol/L NaCl、5%~20% 聚乙二醇（PEG） 6 000、25 ℃~52 ℃温度范围、50~400 μmol/L甲基紫精和pH 3.0~11.0的非生物胁迫下生长均明显优于对照。研究表明,异子蓬PEPC基因的表达提高了E.coli耐受非生物胁迫的能力。     

Regulation of water balance in mangroves

Background Mangroves are a group of highly salt-tolerant woody plants. The high water use efficiency of mangroves under saline conditions suggests that regulation of water transport is a crucial component of their salinity tolerance.Scope This review focuses on the processes that contribute to the ability of mangroves to maintain water uptake and limit water loss to the soil and the atmosphere under saline conditions, from micro to macro scales. These processes include: (1) efficient filtering of the incoming water to exclude salt; (2) maintenance of internal osmotic potentials lower than that of the rhizosphere; (3) water-saving properties; and (4) efficient exploitation of less-saline water sources when these become available.Conclusions Mangroves are inherently plastic and can change their structure at the root, leaf and stand levels in response to salinity in order to exclude salt from the xylem stream, maintain leaf hydraulic conductance, avoid cavitation and regulate water loss (e.g. suberization of roots and alterations of leaf size, succulence and angle, hydraulic anatomy and biomass partitioning). However, much is still unknown about the regulation of water uptake in mangroves, such as how they sense and respond to heterogeneity in root zone salinity, the extent to which they utilize non-stomatally derived CO₂ as a water-saving measure and whether they can exploit atmospheric water sources.     

荒漠盐生植物根际土壤盐分和养分特征

中国西北地区是我国干旱、盐碱化土壤分布面积较广、土壤积盐较重的地区,这里发育着丰富的盐生植物。目前对于干旱荒漠区盐生植物根际特征的研究相对较少,而不同盐生植物的根际特征对于研究盐生植物适应盐渍环境的机制有着重要意义。本研究利采用盆栽根袋法对7种不同类型的荒漠盐生植物的根际盐分和养分特征进行了初步探索。结果表明:盐分在盐生植物根际发生富集,稀盐盐生植物和泌盐盐生植物根际土壤中总盐和8种主要盐分离子的含量都有所增加,而在拒盐盐生植物根际中增加不显著,其中Cl-和Na 的富集程度相对其它6种离子的富集程度要高。稀盐盐生植物和泌盐盐生植物根际土中的SO42-/Cl-比土体有显著的降低,表明在稀盐盐生植物和泌盐盐生植物根际土壤中Cl-的富集程度比SO42-高,拒盐盐生植物根际土盐分SO42-/Cl-比略有提高。7种盐生植物根际土中的Na /K ,Na /Ca2 ,Na /Mg2 比均较土体有显著的增加,芦苇根际土中的增加最小。在所有研究植物中,根际土壤中全N含量比土体的含量高,但全P和全K含量却比土体的含量低;根际土壤中有效态养分的变化则与全态相反,根际土壤中的有效N含量比土体中的都显著降低,除芦苇外,其他六种盐生植物根际土壤中有效P和有效K的含量都高于土体,但有效P的富集不及有效K富集的程度高。在研究的七种植物中,钠猪毛菜根际土壤的有效N亏缺量最高,有效P和速效K富集也最少。7种植物,尤其是稀盐盐生植物和泌盐盐生植物的地上部分的主要盐离子含量比地下部分高,如Cl-、Na 、Ca2 和K ,在根际富集程度最高的Cl-和Na ,在植株的地上部分也增加的最多。     

两种盐生植物内生真菌多样性及其功能预测

【背景】植物内生菌是微生物群落中一类非常重要的组成部分,是重要的微生物资源库,在植物促生、抗逆等多个领域有重要的研究和应用价值。【目的】进一步了解干旱荒漠区盐生植物内生真菌的多样性、群落结构和潜在功能特征。【方法】对生长在乌兹别克斯坦西咸海岸边的两种盐生植物毛足假木贼(Anabasis eriopoda abbreviated as AE)和展枝假木贼(A. truncata abbreviated as AT)的内生真菌群落进行扩增子测序分析。【结果】共获得166个ampliconsequencingvariants(ASVs),涉及4门49属,其中Neocamarosporium、Botryosphaeria和Alternaria及其所属高级分类单元是优势类群。多样性和群落组成分析显示两种盐生植物的内生真菌存在较为明显的差异,并包含一些潜在的新分类单元。基于PICRUSt2和FUNGuild的功能预测结果表明这两种盐生植物内生真菌的潜在功能和营养方式多样且表现出宿主差异性。【结论】盐生植物内生真菌具有较高的多样性和潜在的资源价值,有待进一步挖掘和研究。     

Salt tolerance in the halophyte Suaeda maritima (L.) Dum. The influence of the salinity of the culture solution on leaf starch and phosphate content

Abstract. The starch concentration in mature leaves of the halophyte Suaeda maritima increased from 4.7 to 7.3 mg mg⁻¹ chlorophyll when sodium chloride (680 mol M⁻³) was added to the solution in which the plants were grown. This effect of salinity on the starch: chlorophyll ratio was greater in young than in old leaves. Electron micrographs showed the starch to be in the chloroplasts and this was confirmed by measurements on isolated chloroplasts. Total phosphorus concentration (mg mg⁻¹ chlorophyll) in leaves of all ages from plants of S. maritima decreased on salinization of the growth medium suggesting an inverse relationship between phosphorus and starch concentrations. However, although leaf starch concentration varied with leaf age, phosphorus concentration did not. The cause of starch accumulation in chloroplasts at salinities which are optimal for growth (340 mol m⁻³) remains unclear.     

L'acide β-trimethylaminopropionique des rameaux de Limonium vulgare mill

β-trimethylaminoproprionic acid was isolated from Limonium vulgare; its structure was determined by spectroscopic methods and confirmed by synthesis. This acid may occur also as an ester with choline.     

Effect of salinity and plant species on CO2 flux and leaching of dissolved organic carbon during decomposition of plant residue

Mitigation of increased concentrations of CO₂ in the atmosphere by plants may be more efficient in saline systems with soils lower in organic matter than in other freshwater systems. In saline systems, decomposition rates may be lower and potential soil carbon storage higher than in fresh water systems. The effects of salinity, plant species and time on CO₂ surface flux and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) leached during irrigation were determined in the laboratory in microcosms containing sand amended with residues of two halophytes, Atriplex nummularia and Salicornia bigelovii, and one glycophyte, Triticum aestivum. Surface flux of CO₂ and DOC leached during decomposition were monitored for 133 days at 24 °C in microcosms containing different plant residue (5% w/w). Microcosms were irrigated every 14 days with distilled water or seawater adjusted to 10, 20, or 40 g L^-1 salts. CO₂ flux and DOC leached were significantly higher from microcosms amended with A. nummularia residue compared to S. bigelovii or T. aestivum at all salinities and decreased significantly over time for all plant species. Irrigating with water of high salinity, 40 g L^-1, compared to distilled water resulted in a decrease in CO₂ surface flux and DOC in leachate, but differences were not significant at all sampling dates. Results indicate that plant residue composition, as well as increased salinity, affect CO₂ surface flux and DOC in leachate during plant residue decomposition and may be an important consideration for C storage in saline systems.