Bypass flow and sodium transport in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

An apoplastic pathway, the so-called bypass flow, is important for Na+ uptake in rice under saline conditions. The primary aim of this thesis was to identify the point of entry for bypass flow into rice roots subjected to salinity. Investigations using lateral rootless mutants (lrt1, lrt2), a crown rootless mutant (crl1), their wild types (Oochikara, Nipponbare and Taichung 65, respectively) and seedlings of rice cv. IR36 showed that the entry point, quantified using trisodium-8-hydroxy-1,3,6-pyrenetrisulphonic acid (PTS), was not at the sites of lateral root emergence. However, PTS was identified in the vascular tissue of lateral roots using both epifluorescence microscopy and confocal\ud laser scanning microscopy. Cryo-scanning electron microscopy and epifluorescence microscopy of sections stained with berberine-aniline blue and Fluorol Yellow 088 revealed that an exodermis was absent in the lateral roots, suggesting that the lack of the exodermis allowed PTS to pass through the cortical layers, enter the stele and be transported to the shoot via the transpiration stream. These findings suggest a role for the lateral roots of rice in bypass flow. The addition of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and silicon (Si) to the culture solution significantly reduced Na+ uptake to the shoot by reducing bypass flow through the lateral roots. PEG was found to be more effective than Si. It was also shown that changing the relative humidity in the air around the shoots had a significant effect on the magnitude of bypass flow and the flux of water across the roots: the greater the flux of water through the roots, the greater the Na+ uptake and bypass flow. Furthermore, results showed that recombinant inbred lines of rice with low Na+ transport possessed low magnitudes of bypass flow, whereas lines with high Na+ transport had a high degree of bypass flow, indicating that bypass flow could be used as a criterion for screening salt resistance in rice varieties

Root apoplastic barriers block Na+ transport to shoots in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Rice is an important crop that is very sensitive to salinity. However, some varieties differ greatly in this feature, making investigations of salinity tolerance mechanisms possible. The cultivar Pokkali is salinity tolerant and is known to have more extensive hydrophobic barriers in its roots than does IR20, a more sensitive cultivar. These barriers located in the root endodermis and exodermis prevent the direct entry of external fluid into the stele. However, it is known that in the case of rice, these barriers are bypassed by most of the Na+ that enters the shoot. Exposing plants to a moderate stress of 100 mM NaCl resulted in deposition of additional hydrophobic aliphatic suberin in both cultivars. The present study demonstrated that Pokkali roots have a lower permeability to water (measured using a pressure chamber) than those of IR20. Conditioning plants with 100 mM NaCl effectively reduced Na+ accumulation in the shoot and improved survival of the plants when they were subsequently subjected to a lethal stress of 200 mM NaCl. The Na+ accumulated during the conditioning period was rapidly released when the plants were returned to the control medium. It has been suggested that the location of the bypass flow is around young lateral roots, the early development of which disrupts the continuity of the endodermal and exodermal Casparian bands. However, in the present study, the observed increase in lateral root densities during stress in both cultivars did not correlate with bypass flow. Overall the data suggest that in rice roots Na+ bypass flow is reduced by the deposition of apoplastic barriers, leading to improved plant survival under salt stress

Aquaporin-facilitated water uptake in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) roots

It is not known to what degree aquaporin-facilitated water uptake differs between root developmental regions and types of root. The aim of this study was to measure aquaporin-dependent water flow in the main types of root and root developmental regions of 14- to 17-d-old barley plants and to identify candidate aquaporins which mediate this flow. Water flow at root level was related to flow at cell and plant level. Plants were grown hydroponically. Hydraulic conductivity of cells and roots was determined with a pressure probe and through exudation, respectively, and whole-plant water flow (transpiration) determined gravimetrically in response to the commonly used aquaporin inhibitor HgCl2. Expression of aquaporins was analysed by real-time PCR and in situ hybridization. Hydraulic conductivity of cortical cells in seminal roots was largest in lateral roots; it was smallest in the fully mature zone and intermediate in the not fully mature ‘transition’ zone along the main root axis. Adventitious roots displayed an even higher (3- to 4-fold) cortical cell hydraulic conductivity in the transition zone. This coincided with 3- to 4-fold higher expression of three aquaporins (HvPIP2;2, HvPIP2;5, HvTIP1:1). These were expressed (also) in cortical tissue. The largest inhibition of water flow (83–95%) in response to HgCl2 was observed in cortical cells. Water flow through roots and plants was reduced less (40–74%). It is concluded that aquaporins contribute substantially to root water uptake in 14- to 17-d-old barley plants. Most water uptake occurs through lateral roots. HvPIP2;5, HvPIP2;2, and HvTIP1;1 are prime candidates to mediate water flow in cortical tissue

Is silicon a panacea for alleviating drought and salt stress in crops?

Salinity affects around 20% of all arable land while an even larger area suffers from recurrent drought. Together these stresses suppress global crop production by as much as 50% and their impacts are predicted to be exacerbated by climate change. Infrastructure and management practices can mitigate these detrimental impacts, but are costly. Crop breeding for improved tolerance has had some success but is progressing slowly and is not keeping pace with climate change. In contrast, Silicon (Si) is known to improve plant tolerance to a range of stresses and could provide a sustainable, rapid and cost-effective mitigation method. The exact mechanisms are still under debate but it appears Si can relieve salt stress via accumulation in the root apoplast where it reduces “bypass flow of ions to the shoot. Si-dependent drought relief has been linked to lowered root hydraulic conductance and reduction of water loss through transpiration. However, many alternative mechanisms may play a role such as altered gene expression and increased accumulation of compatible solutes. Oxidative damage that occurs under stress conditions can be reduced by Si through increased antioxidative enzymes while Si-improved photosynthesis has also been reported. Si fertilizer can be produced relatively cheaply and to assess its economic viability to improve crop stress tolerance we present a cost-benefit analysis. It suggests that Si fertilization may be beneficial in many agronomic settings but may be beyond the means of smallholder farmers in developing countries. Si application may also have disadvantages, such as increased soil pH, less efficient conversion of crops into biofuel and reduced digestibility of animal fodder. These issues may hamper uptake of Si fertilization as a routine agronomic practice. Here, we critically evaluate recent literature, quantifying the most significant physiological changes associated with Si in plants under drought and salinity stress. Analyses show that metrics associated with photosynthesis, water balance and oxidative stress all improve when Si is present during plant exposure to salinity and drought. We further conclude that most of these changes can be explained by apoplastic roles of Si while there is as yet little evidence to support biochemical roles of this element

Reduction of enzymatic browning of harvested 'Daw' longan exocarp by sodium chlorite

ABSTRACT: Post-harvest exocarp browning is a major problem resulting in reduced shelf-life of longan fruits. The objective of this study was to evaluate the possibility of using sodium chlorite (SC) as an anti-browning agent for controlling enzymatic browning of harvested longan fruits during storage at ambient conditions. Longan fruits cv. Daw were dipped in 0.001%, 0.005%, 0.01%, and 0.05% SC (W/V) for 10 min. The fruits were packed in cardboard boxes and stored at 25 ± 1°C with a relative humidity of 82 ± 5% for 72 h. Changes in browning index, colour parameter (L* and b* values), polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, peroxidase (POD) activity, and total phenolic content were measured. The results showed that the fruits treated with SC had lower browning index, but higher L* (lightness) and b*(yellowness) values than those of the control group during storage for 48 h. SC at a concentration of 0.01% was the most effective in reducing exocarp browning. The application of SC reduced PPO and POD activities and delayed a decrease in the total phenolic content. The treatment with 0.01% and 0.05% SC had the lowest PPO and POD activities, and maintained the highest total phenolic content. It was concluded that an application of SC is an alternative method for reducing exocarp browning and maintaining quality of harvested longan fruits

The role of lateral roots in bypass flow in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Although an apoplastic pathway (the so-called bypass flow) is implicated in the uptake of Na+ by rice growing in saline conditions, the point of entry of this flow into roots remains to be elucidated. We investigated the role of lateral roots in bypass flow using the tracer trisodium-8-hydroxy-1,3,6-pyrenetrisulphonic acid (PTS) and the rice cv. IR36. PTS was identified in the vascular tissue of lateral roots using both epifluorescence microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Cryo-scanning electron microscopy and epifluorescence microscopy of sections stained with berberine-aniline blue revealed that the exodermis is absent in the lateral roots. We conclude that PTS can move freely through the cortical layers of lateral roots, enter the stele and be transported to the shoot via the transpiration stream

A new screening technique for salinity resistance in rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings using bypass flow

A lack of screening techniques delays progress in research on salinity resistance in rice. In this study, we report our test of the hypothesis that an apoplastic pathway (the so-called bypass flow) causes a difference in salt resistance between rice genotypes and can be used in screening for salinity resistance. Fourteen-day-old seedlings of low- and high-Na+-transporting recombinant inbred lines (10 of each) of rice IR55178 were treated with 50 mm NaCl and 0.2 mm trisodium-8-hydroxy-1,3,6-pyrenetrisulphonic acid (PTS), a bypass flow tracer, for short (4 d) and long (90 d) periods of time. The results showed that the average shoot Na+ concentration and bypass flow for high-Na+-transporting lines were 1.4 and 2.4 times higher than those of low-Na+-transporting lines, respectively. There was a positive linear correlation between the percentage of bypass flow and Na+ concentrations in the shoots, suggesting that the difference in Na+ transport in rice is a consequence of different degrees of bypass flow. Moreover, a high correlation was found between bypass flow and seedling survival after prolonged salt stress: the lower the magnitude of bypass flow, the greater the seedling survival. We conclude that bypass flow could be used as a new screening technique for salt resistance in rice

Phospholipases Dζ1 and Dζ2 have distinct roles in growth and antioxidant systems in Arabidopsis thaliana responding to salt stress

International audienceLipid signalling mediated by phospholipase D (PLD) plays essential roles in plant growth including stress and hormonal responses. Here we show that PLDζ1 and PLDζ2 have distinct effects on Arabidopsis responses to salinity. A transcriptome analysis of a double pldζ1pldζ2 mutant revealed a cluster of genes involved in abiotic and biotic stresses, such as the high salt-stress responsive genes DDF1 and RD29A. Another cluster of genes with a common expression pattern included ROS detoxification genes involved in electron transport and biotic and abiotic stress responses. Total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was induced early in the shoots and roots of all pldζ mutants exposed to mild or severe salinity with the highest SOD activity measured in pldζ2 at 14 days. Lipid peroxidation in shoots and roots was higher in the pldζ1 mutant upon salt treatment and pldζ1 accumulated H2O2 earlier than other genotypes in response to salt. Salinity caused less deleterious effects on K+ accumulation in shoots and roots of the pldζ2 mutant than of wild type, causing only a slight variation in Na+/K+ ratio. Relative growth rates of wild-type plants, pldζ1, pldζ2 and pldζ1pldζ2 mutants were similar in control conditions, but strongly affected by salt in WT and pldζ1. The efficiency of photosystem II, estimated by measuring the ratio of chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm ratio), was strongly decreased in pldζ1 under salt stress. In conclusion, PLDζ2 plays a key role in determining Arabidopsis sensitivity to salt stress allowing ion transport and antioxidant responses to be finely regulated