Priming with a Seaweed Extract Strongly Improves Drought Tolerance in Arabidopsis
Drought represents a major threat to plants in natural ecosystems and agricultural settings. The biostimulant Super Fifty (SF), produced from the brown alga <i>Ascophyllum nodosum</i>, enables ecologically friendly stress mitigation. We investigated the physiological and whole-genome tra...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-02-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/3/1469 |
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| author | Fiaz Rasul Saurabh Gupta Justyna Jadwiga Olas Tsanko Gechev Neerakkal Sujeeth Bernd Mueller-Roeber |
| author_facet | Fiaz Rasul Saurabh Gupta Justyna Jadwiga Olas Tsanko Gechev Neerakkal Sujeeth Bernd Mueller-Roeber |
| author_sort | Fiaz Rasul |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Drought represents a major threat to plants in natural ecosystems and agricultural settings. The biostimulant Super Fifty (SF), produced from the brown alga <i>Ascophyllum nodosum</i>, enables ecologically friendly stress mitigation. We investigated the physiological and whole-genome transcriptome responses of <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> to drought stress after a treatment with SF. SF strongly decreased drought-induced damage. Accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which typically stifle plant growth during drought, was reduced in SF-primed plants. Relative water content remained high in SF-treated plants, whilst ion leakage, a measure of cell damage, was reduced compared to controls. Plant growth requires a functional shoot apical meristem (SAM). Expression of a stress-responsive negative growth regulator, <i>RESPONSIVE TO DESICCATION 26</i> (<i>RD26</i>), was repressed by SF treatment at the SAM, consistent with the model that SF priming maintains the function of the SAM during drought stress. Accordingly, expression of the cell cycle marker gene <i>HISTONE H4</i> (<i>HIS4</i>) was maintained at the SAMs of SF-primed plants, revealing active cell cycle progression after SF priming during drought. In accordance with this, <i>CYCP2;1</i>, which promotes meristem cell division, was repressed by drought but enhanced by SF. SF also positively affected stomatal behavior to support the tolerance to drought stress. Collectively, our data show that SF priming mitigates multiple cellular processes that otherwise impair plant growth under drought stress, thereby providing a knowledge basis for future research on crops. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:06:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0b79861e839e45b8835834877e0a2b10 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:06:56Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-0b79861e839e45b8835834877e0a2b102023-12-03T12:02:09ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672021-02-01223146910.3390/ijms22031469Priming with a Seaweed Extract Strongly Improves Drought Tolerance in ArabidopsisFiaz Rasul0Saurabh Gupta1Justyna Jadwiga Olas2Tsanko Gechev3Neerakkal Sujeeth4Bernd Mueller-Roeber5Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl Liebknecht Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, GermanyInstitute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl Liebknecht Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, GermanyInstitute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl Liebknecht Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, GermanyCenter of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology (CPSBB), 139 Ruski Blvd., 4000 Plovdiv, BulgariaBioAtlantis Ltd., Clash Industrial Estate, V92 RWV5 Tralee, IrelandInstitute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl Liebknecht Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, GermanyDrought represents a major threat to plants in natural ecosystems and agricultural settings. The biostimulant Super Fifty (SF), produced from the brown alga <i>Ascophyllum nodosum</i>, enables ecologically friendly stress mitigation. We investigated the physiological and whole-genome transcriptome responses of <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> to drought stress after a treatment with SF. SF strongly decreased drought-induced damage. Accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which typically stifle plant growth during drought, was reduced in SF-primed plants. Relative water content remained high in SF-treated plants, whilst ion leakage, a measure of cell damage, was reduced compared to controls. Plant growth requires a functional shoot apical meristem (SAM). Expression of a stress-responsive negative growth regulator, <i>RESPONSIVE TO DESICCATION 26</i> (<i>RD26</i>), was repressed by SF treatment at the SAM, consistent with the model that SF priming maintains the function of the SAM during drought stress. Accordingly, expression of the cell cycle marker gene <i>HISTONE H4</i> (<i>HIS4</i>) was maintained at the SAMs of SF-primed plants, revealing active cell cycle progression after SF priming during drought. In accordance with this, <i>CYCP2;1</i>, which promotes meristem cell division, was repressed by drought but enhanced by SF. SF also positively affected stomatal behavior to support the tolerance to drought stress. Collectively, our data show that SF priming mitigates multiple cellular processes that otherwise impair plant growth under drought stress, thereby providing a knowledge basis for future research on crops.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/3/1469abiotic stress<i>Ascophyllum nodosum</i>droughtprimingreactive oxygen species |
| spellingShingle | Fiaz Rasul Saurabh Gupta Justyna Jadwiga Olas Tsanko Gechev Neerakkal Sujeeth Bernd Mueller-Roeber Priming with a Seaweed Extract Strongly Improves Drought Tolerance in Arabidopsis International Journal of Molecular Sciences abiotic stress <i>Ascophyllum nodosum</i> drought priming reactive oxygen species |
| title | Priming with a Seaweed Extract Strongly Improves Drought Tolerance in Arabidopsis |
| title_full | Priming with a Seaweed Extract Strongly Improves Drought Tolerance in Arabidopsis |
| title_fullStr | Priming with a Seaweed Extract Strongly Improves Drought Tolerance in Arabidopsis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Priming with a Seaweed Extract Strongly Improves Drought Tolerance in Arabidopsis |
| title_short | Priming with a Seaweed Extract Strongly Improves Drought Tolerance in Arabidopsis |
| title_sort | priming with a seaweed extract strongly improves drought tolerance in arabidopsis |
| topic | abiotic stress <i>Ascophyllum nodosum</i> drought priming reactive oxygen species |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/3/1469 |
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