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Role of heme oxygenase-1 in spermidine-induced alleviation of salt toxicity during alfalfa seed germination

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Abstract

Aims

This study investigated molecular mechanism of spermidine (Spd)-mediated enhancement of tolerance against salinity during alfalfa seed germination.

Methods

A combination of histochemical, physiological and molecular approaches was used to study the effect of Spd on the alleviation of salt toxicity.

Results

Exogenously applied Spd (100 μM) and a heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) inducer hemin (10 μM) not only up-regulated alfalfa HO-1 gene expression and increased its protein level and activity, but also significantly alleviated the inhibitory effects of 100 mM NaCl on seed germination and seedling growth. K+ to Na+ ratio was also increased. Further results revealed that total, isozymatic activities or corresponding transcripts of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and guaiacol peroxidase (POD), were induced differentially. These antioxidant behaviors were confirmed by histochemical staining for the detection of lipid peroxidation and the loss of plasma membrane integrity. Above cytoprotective role of Spd is specific for HO-1 because the inhibitor of HO-1 significantly suppressed above responses, and some of the inhibitory effects were reversed when 10 % carbon monoxide (CO)-saturated aqueous solution was added.

Conclusions

Together, our results suggested that Spd-mediated alleviation of NaCl toxicity during alfalfa seed germination acts, at least partially, in a HO-1-dependent pathway.

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Abbreviations

APX:

Ascorbate peroxidase

BR:

Bilirubin

BV:

Biliverdin

CO:

Carbon monoxide

HO:

Heme oxygenase

HO-1:

Heme oxygenase-1

LOX:

Lipoxygenase

MSC27 :

Medicago sativa cDNA 27

POD:

Guaiacol peroxidase

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

Spd:

Spermidine

ZnPP:

Zinc protoporphyrin IX

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (J1210056,J1310015), and the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD).

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Correspondence to Wenbiao Shen.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Hans Lambers.

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Zhu, K., Zhang, J., Cui, W. et al. Role of heme oxygenase-1 in spermidine-induced alleviation of salt toxicity during alfalfa seed germination. Plant Soil 375, 275–287 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-013-1964-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-013-1964-x

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