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Effects of 5-aminolevulinic acid on the H2O2-content and antioxidative enzyme gene expression in NaCl-treated cucumber seedlings

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:
Biologia Plantarum

Abstract

The potential of 5-aminolevulenic acid (ALA) to enhance the salt tolerance of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seedlings was investigated. ALA was applied at various concentrations (0, 1, 10, 25, 50, and 100 mg dm−3) as foliar spray or root watering. Then the seedlings were exposed to 0 or 75 mM NaCl for 5 d. NaCl stress reduced the root and leaf dry masses, leaf area, and the leaf net CO2 assimilation rate. These reductions were counteracted by exogenous ALA, and the most efficient was 50 mg dm−3 concentration via foliar spray. ALA decreased the H2O2 contents and increased the activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR) in NaCl-treated cucumber roots and leaves and the activity of catalase (CAT) in leaves. The ALA application also up-regulated the expressions of CAT and cAPX genes in roots and leaves and the expression of GR gene in roots of the NaCl treated cucumber plants.

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Abbreviations

ALA:

5-aminolevulinic acid

APX:

ascorbate peroxidase

AsA:

reduced ascorbic acid

CAT:

catalase

DHA:

ehydroascorbate

DHAR:

dehydroascorbate reductase

GR:

glutathione reductase

GSH:

reduced glutathione

GSSG:

oxidized glutathione

MDHAR:

monodehydroascorbate reductase

PGRs:

plant growth regulators

PN :

net photosynthetic rate

ROS:

reactive oxygen species

SOD:

superoxide dismutase

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Horticulture and Forestry, Huazhong Agricultural University and Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, 430070, P.R. China

    A. Zhen, Z. L. Bie, Y. Huang, Z. X. Liu & M. L. Fan

Authors
  1. A. Zhen
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  2. Z. L. Bie
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  3. Y. Huang
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  4. Z. X. Liu
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  5. M. L. Fan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Z. L. Bie.

Additional information

Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the 973 Project (2009CB119000), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30871738), the Key Project of the Chinese Ministry of Education (109113) and the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province (2008CDB081).

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Zhen, A., Bie, Z.L., Huang, Y. et al. Effects of 5-aminolevulinic acid on the H2O2-content and antioxidative enzyme gene expression in NaCl-treated cucumber seedlings. Biol Plant 56, 566–570 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-012-0118-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-012-0118-y

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