Salinity Tolerance of Halophytic Grass <i>Puccinellia nuttalliana</i> Is Associated with Enhancement of Aquaporin-Mediated Water Transport by Sodium
In salt-sensitive plants, root hydraulic conductivity is severely inhibited by NaCl, rapidly leading to the loss of water balance. However, halophytic plants appear to effectively control plant water flow under salinity conditions. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that Na<sup>+</sup&...
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MDPI AG
2022-05-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/10/5732 |
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| author | Maryamsadat Vaziriyeganeh Micaela Carvajal Ning Du Janusz J. Zwiazek |
| author_facet | Maryamsadat Vaziriyeganeh Micaela Carvajal Ning Du Janusz J. Zwiazek |
| author_sort | Maryamsadat Vaziriyeganeh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In salt-sensitive plants, root hydraulic conductivity is severely inhibited by NaCl, rapidly leading to the loss of water balance. However, halophytic plants appear to effectively control plant water flow under salinity conditions. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that Na<sup>+</sup> is the principal salt factor responsible for the enhancement of aquaporin-mediated water transport in the roots of halophytic grasses, and this enhancement plays a significant role in the maintenance of water balance, gas exchange, and the growth of halophytic plants exposed to salinity. We examined the effects of treatments with 150 mM of NaCl, KCl, and Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> to separate the factors that affect water relations and, consequently, physiological and growth responses in three related grass species varying in salt tolerance. The grasses included relatively salt-sensitive <i>Poa pratensis</i>, moderately salt-tolerant <i>Poa juncifolia</i>, and the salt-loving halophytic grass <i>Puccinellia nuttalliana</i>. Our study demonstrated that sustained growth, chlorophyll concentrations, gas exchange, and water transport in <i>Puccinellia nuttalliana</i> were associated with the presence of Na in the applied salt treatments. Contrary to the other examined grasses, the root cell hydraulic conductivity in <i>Puccinellia nuttalliana</i> was enhanced by the 150 mM NaCl and 150 mM Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> treatments. This enhancement was abolished by the 50 µM HgCl<sub>2</sub> treatment, demonstrating that Na was the factor responsible for the increase in mercury-sensitive, aquaporin-mediated water transport. The observed increases in root Ca and K concentrations likely played a role in the transcriptional and (or) posttranslational regulation of aquaporins that enhanced root water transport capacity in <i>Puccinellia nuttalliana</i>. The study demonstrates that Na plays a key role in the aquaporin-mediated root water transport of the halophytic grass <i>Puccinellia nuttalliana</i>, contributing to its salinity tolerance. |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
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| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-4852acf207a444aa8def46e1af7f342a2023-11-23T11:27:30ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672022-05-012310573210.3390/ijms23105732Salinity Tolerance of Halophytic Grass <i>Puccinellia nuttalliana</i> Is Associated with Enhancement of Aquaporin-Mediated Water Transport by SodiumMaryamsadat Vaziriyeganeh0Micaela Carvajal1Ning Du2Janusz J. Zwiazek3Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E3, CanadaGroup of Aquaporins, Plant Nutrition Department, Centre of Edaphology and Applied Biology of Segura (CEBAS-CSIC), Campus of Espinardo, Building 25, E-30100 Murcia, SpainInstitute of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, ChinaDepartment of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E3, CanadaIn salt-sensitive plants, root hydraulic conductivity is severely inhibited by NaCl, rapidly leading to the loss of water balance. However, halophytic plants appear to effectively control plant water flow under salinity conditions. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that Na<sup>+</sup> is the principal salt factor responsible for the enhancement of aquaporin-mediated water transport in the roots of halophytic grasses, and this enhancement plays a significant role in the maintenance of water balance, gas exchange, and the growth of halophytic plants exposed to salinity. We examined the effects of treatments with 150 mM of NaCl, KCl, and Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> to separate the factors that affect water relations and, consequently, physiological and growth responses in three related grass species varying in salt tolerance. The grasses included relatively salt-sensitive <i>Poa pratensis</i>, moderately salt-tolerant <i>Poa juncifolia</i>, and the salt-loving halophytic grass <i>Puccinellia nuttalliana</i>. Our study demonstrated that sustained growth, chlorophyll concentrations, gas exchange, and water transport in <i>Puccinellia nuttalliana</i> were associated with the presence of Na in the applied salt treatments. Contrary to the other examined grasses, the root cell hydraulic conductivity in <i>Puccinellia nuttalliana</i> was enhanced by the 150 mM NaCl and 150 mM Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> treatments. This enhancement was abolished by the 50 µM HgCl<sub>2</sub> treatment, demonstrating that Na was the factor responsible for the increase in mercury-sensitive, aquaporin-mediated water transport. The observed increases in root Ca and K concentrations likely played a role in the transcriptional and (or) posttranslational regulation of aquaporins that enhanced root water transport capacity in <i>Puccinellia nuttalliana</i>. The study demonstrates that Na plays a key role in the aquaporin-mediated root water transport of the halophytic grass <i>Puccinellia nuttalliana</i>, contributing to its salinity tolerance.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/10/5732aquaporinscell hydraulic conductivitygas exchangehalophytessodiumwater relations |
| spellingShingle | Maryamsadat Vaziriyeganeh Micaela Carvajal Ning Du Janusz J. Zwiazek Salinity Tolerance of Halophytic Grass <i>Puccinellia nuttalliana</i> Is Associated with Enhancement of Aquaporin-Mediated Water Transport by Sodium International Journal of Molecular Sciences aquaporins cell hydraulic conductivity gas exchange halophytes sodium water relations |
| title | Salinity Tolerance of Halophytic Grass <i>Puccinellia nuttalliana</i> Is Associated with Enhancement of Aquaporin-Mediated Water Transport by Sodium |
| title_full | Salinity Tolerance of Halophytic Grass <i>Puccinellia nuttalliana</i> Is Associated with Enhancement of Aquaporin-Mediated Water Transport by Sodium |
| title_fullStr | Salinity Tolerance of Halophytic Grass <i>Puccinellia nuttalliana</i> Is Associated with Enhancement of Aquaporin-Mediated Water Transport by Sodium |
| title_full_unstemmed | Salinity Tolerance of Halophytic Grass <i>Puccinellia nuttalliana</i> Is Associated with Enhancement of Aquaporin-Mediated Water Transport by Sodium |
| title_short | Salinity Tolerance of Halophytic Grass <i>Puccinellia nuttalliana</i> Is Associated with Enhancement of Aquaporin-Mediated Water Transport by Sodium |
| title_sort | salinity tolerance of halophytic grass i puccinellia nuttalliana i is associated with enhancement of aquaporin mediated water transport by sodium |
| topic | aquaporins cell hydraulic conductivity gas exchange halophytes sodium water relations |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/10/5732 |
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