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Crosstalk of nitric oxide with calcium induced tolerance of tall fescue leaves to high irradiance

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Biologia Plantarum

Abstract

Calcium ion (Ca2+) is essential secondary messenger in plant signaling networks. In this study, the effect of Ca2+ on oxidative damage caused by a high irradiance (HI) was investigated in the leaves of two cultivars of tall fescue (Arid3 and Houndog5). Pretreatment of the tall fescue leaves with a CaCl2 solution significantly increased Ca2+ content and intrinsic HI tolerance due to a decreased ion leakage and content of malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and superoxide radicals. Moreover, the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione reductase increased in both the cultivars in the presence of Ca2+ under the HI stress. In contrast, treatments with a Ca2+ chelator ethylene glycol-bis(2-aminoethylether)-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) or a plasma membrane Ca2+ channel blocker LaCl3 reversed these effects. On the other hand, a pronounced increase in nitric oxide synthase-like activity and NO release by exogenous Ca2+ treatment was observed in the tolerant Arid3 plants after exposure to the HI, whereas only a small increase was observed in more sensitive Houndog5. Moreover, the inhibition of NO production by 2-(4-carboxy-2-phenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide or N ω-nitro-L-arginine blocked the protective effect of exogenous Ca2+, whereas the inhibition of Ca2+ by EGTA or LaCl3 had no influence on the protective effect of NO. The results indicate that NO might be involved in the Ca2+-induced activities of antioxidant enzymes further protecting against HI-induced oxidative damage. This protective mechanism was found to be more efficient in Arid3 than in Houndog5.

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Abbreviations

ABA:

abscisic acid

APX:

ascorbate peroxidase

CAT:

catalase

EGTA:

ethylene glycol-bis(2-aminoethylether)-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid

GR:

glutathione reductase

HI:

high irradiance

LI:

low irradiance

LNNA:

N ω-nitro-L-arginine

NO:

nitric oxide

NOS:

nitric oxide synthase

PPFD:

photosynthetic photon flux density

PTIO:

2-(4-carboxy-2-phenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide

PVP:

polyvinylpyrrolidone

ROS:

reactive oxygen species

SNP:

sodium nitroprusside

SOD:

superoxide dismutase

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Grassland Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, 712100, P.R. China

    Y. F. Xu, X. T. Chu, J. J. Fu & T. M. Hu

  2. Department of Plant Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

    L. Y. Yang

Authors
  1. Y. F. Xu
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  2. X. T. Chu
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  3. J. J. Fu
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  4. L. Y. Yang
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  5. T. M. Hu
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Y. F. Xu or T. M. Hu.

Additional information

Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31402129) and Key Projects in the National Science & Technology Pillar Program in the Twelfth Five-year Plan Period (No. 2011BAD17B05).

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Xu, Y.F., Chu, X.T., Fu, J.J. et al. Crosstalk of nitric oxide with calcium induced tolerance of tall fescue leaves to high irradiance. Biol Plant 60, 376–384 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-016-0597-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-016-0597-3

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