Kinematic Analysis of Leaf Growth in Grasses： A Comment on Spatial and Temporal Quantitative Analysis of Cell Division and Elongation Rate in Growing Wheat Leaves under Saline Conditions

Hu and Schmidhalter （2008） conducted a study with wheat seedlings growing in saline and non-stressed （control） conditions with the aim of identifying and quantifying the cellular basis for the reduction in leaf growth. We applaud their goals as salinity is an important issue for plant ecology and food production; however, we have concerns about the methodology used and the subsequent conclusJons that are drawn.     

Carbon Monoxide Alleviates Salt-Induced Oxidative Damage in Wheat Seedling Leaves

Carbon monoxide （CO）, a by-product released during the degradation of heme by heme oxygenases （EC 1.14.99.3） In animals, is regarded as an important physiological messenger or bioactive molecule involved in many biological events that has been recently reported as playing a major role in mediating the cytoprotectlon against oxidant-induced lung Injury. In the present study, we first determined the protective effect of exogenous CO against salt-induced oxidative damage in wheat seedling leaves. Wheat seedlings treated with 0.01μmol/L hematin as the CO donor demonstrated significant reversal of chlorophyll decay, dry weight, and water loss induced by 300 mmol/L NaCl stress. Interestingly, the increase in lipid peroxidation observed in salt-treated leaves was reversed by 0.01μmol/L hematin treatment. Time-couree analyses showed that application of 0.01μmol/L hematln enhanced gualacol peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase and catalase activities in wheat seedling leaves subjected to salt stress. These effects are specific for CO because the CO scavenger hemoglobin （1.2 mg/L） blocked the actions of the CO donor hematln. However, higher concentration of the CO donor （1.0μmol/L） did not alleviate dry weight and water loss of salt-stressed wheat seedlings. These results suggest that exogenous application of low levels of a CO donor may be advantageous against salinity toxicity.     

外源一氧化碳对小麦幼苗耐盐性以及根中脯氨酸含量的影响

小麦幼苗经饱和度为50％的一氧化碳（C0）溶液预处理24h可以缓解随后以200mmol·L^-1NaCl处理所导致的小麦幼苗生长的受抑程度和相对含水量的下降。CO预处理还可有效提高盐胁迫下小麦幼苗根中吡咯啉-5-羧酸合成酶（P5CS）活性及其基因的表达,同时抑制脯氨酸脱氢酶（ProDH）活性,从而诱导脯氨酸的大量合成,缓解盐胁迫对小麦幼苗的伤害。     

外源一氧化碳对铁胁迫下的离体水稻叶片氧化伤害的缓解作用

不同饱和度的外源CO水溶液预处理离体水稻叶片,可以浓度依赖性地缓解铁胁迫引起的硫代巴比妥酸反应物质（TBARS）含量的上升,并诱导铁蛋白基因表达。此外,50%饱和度的CO水溶液还能不同程度地逆转由于柠檬酸铁胁迫引起的叶中抗坏血酸过氧化物酶（APX）和超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活性的上升。     

外源一氧化碳对干旱胁迫下水稻幼苗抗氧化系统的影响

以水稻(Oryza sativa L.) 品种‘D奇宝优1号'幼苗为材料,采用20%聚乙二醇(PEG-6000)模拟水分胁迫,研究外源一氧化碳(CO)对干旱胁迫下水稻幼苗抗氧化能力的影响,以探索CO提高水稻幼苗抗旱性的机制.结果显示,CO供体高铁血红素(Hematin,H)显著降低干旱胁迫下水稻幼苗叶片质膜相对透性和丙二醛(MDA)含量,提高脯氨酸和可溶性蛋白的含量,不同程度地促进叶片中超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)和过氧化物酶(POD)的活性,而CO清除剂血红蛋白(Hemoglobin,Hb)则逆转CO供体对干旱胁迫下水稻幼苗氧化损伤的缓解效应.由此表明,外源CO能通过调整保护酶活性和渗透调节物质含量来提高水稻幼苗的抗氧化能力,有效增强其抗旱性.     

Oxidative Stress Responses Accompanying Photoinactivation of Catalase in NaCI-treated Rye Leaves

When segments of rye leaves (Secale cereale L.) grown at 90 μmol m^?2 s^?1 PAR were incubated at a higher photon flux of 400–500 μ mol m^?2 s^?1 PAR in the presence of 0.2-0.6 M NaCl, a preferential loss of catalase activity was induced. The extent of this decline increased with the concentration of NaCl. In addition, the accumulation of alternative antioxidative components, such as ascorbate, glutathione, glutathione reductase, or peroxidase, was inhibited. The total content of H₂O₂ was, however, lower in catalase-depleted than in untreated control leaves. The occurrence of strong oxidative stress in NaCl-treated leaves was indicated by marked declines in the ratios of reduced to oxidized ascorbate and glutathione and by the degradation of chlorophyll in light. The specific elimination of catalase activity by the inhibitor aminotriazole was also accompanied by a rapid decline in the ratio of reduced to oxidized glutathione but other symptoms of oxidative stress were much less severe than in the presence of NaCl. However, all symptoms of photooxidative damage seen in NaCl-treated leaves were closely mimicked by treatment with the translation inhibitor, cycloheximlde, in light. The results suggest that NaCl-induced oxidative damage in light was predominantly mediated by the inhibition of protein synthesis. By this inhibition the resynthesis of catalase, which has a high turnover in light, was blocked and the leaves were thus depleted of catalase activity and, in addition, the intensification of alternative antioxidative systems was also prevented.     

外源CO和NO对水稻种子萌发过程中干旱胁迫损伤的缓解效应

选用水稻品种‘Ⅱ优128’种子为材料,以1.0μmol.L-1高铁血红素(Hematin,H)和200μmol.L-1硝普钠(sodium nitroprusside,SNP)分别作为CO和NO供体,采用PEG-6000模拟干旱胁迫,研究外源CO和NO对干旱胁迫下水稻种子萌发和萌发过程中抗氧化能力的影响。结果表明:高铁血红素和硝普钠处理可以显著提高干旱胁迫下水稻种子的发芽率、芽长和根长;同时显著提高种子淀粉酶活性,显著增加其可溶性糖、可溶性蛋白和脯氨酸含量;还不同程度地诱导增强超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)和过氧化物酶(POD)的活性,同时降低质膜相对透性和丙二醛(MDA)含量。研究证实,外源CO和NO可通过调节渗透调节物质含量和保护酶活性来有效缓解干旱胁迫对萌发水稻种子造成的氧化伤害,促进种子萌发生长。     

Oxidative stress tolerance in plants: Novel interplay between auxin and reactive oxygen species signaling

Biotic and abiotic stress conditions produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plants causing oxidative stress damage. At the same time, ROS have additional signaling roles in plant adaptation to the stress. It is not known how the two seemingly contrasting functional roles of ROS between oxidative damage to the cell and signaling for stress protection are balanced. Research suggests that the plant growth regulator auxin may be the connecting link regulating the level of ROS and directing its role in oxidative damage or signaling in plants under stress. The objective of this review is to highlight some of the recent research on how auxin’s role is intertwined to that of ROS, more specifically H₂O₂, in plant adaptation to oxidative stress conditions.