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Bigot S, Pongrac P, Šala M, van Elteren JT, Martínez JP, Lutts S, Quinet M. The Halophyte Species Solanum chilense Dun. Maintains Its Reproduction despite Sodium Accumulation in Its Floral Organs. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:plants11050672. [PMID: 35270142 PMCID: PMC8912488 DOI: 10.3390/plants11050672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Salinity is a growing global concern that affects the yield of crop species, including tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Its wild relative Solanum chilense was reported to have halophyte properties. We compared salt resistance of both species during the reproductive phase, with a special focus on sodium localization in the flowers. Plants were exposed to NaCl from the seedling stage. Salinity decreased the number of inflorescences in both species but the number of flowers per inflorescence and sepal length only in S. lycopersicum. External salt supply decreased the stamen length in S. chilense, and it was associated with a decrease in pollen production and an increase in pollen viability. Although the fruit set was not affected by salinity, fruit weight and size decreased in S. lycopersicum. Concentrations and localization of Na, K, Mg, and Ca differed in reproductive structures of both species. Inflorescences and fruits of S. chilense accumulated more Na than S. lycopersicum. Sodium was mainly located in male floral organs of S. chilense but in non-reproductive floral organs in S. lycopersicum. The expression of Na transporter genes differed in flowers of both species. Overall, our results indicated that S. chilense was more salt-resistant than S. lycopersicum during the reproductive phase and that differences could be partly related to dissimilarities in element distribution and transport in flowers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Servane Bigot
- Groupe de Recherche en Physiologie Végétale (GRPV), Earth and Life Institute-Agronomy (ELI-A), Université Catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 4-5, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (S.L.); (M.Q.)
| | - Paula Pongrac
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna Pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Martin Šala
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.Š.); (J.T.v.E.)
| | - Johannes T. van Elteren
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.Š.); (J.T.v.E.)
| | - Juan-Pablo Martínez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA-La Cruz), Chorrillos 86, La Cruz 2280454, Chile;
| | - Stanley Lutts
- Groupe de Recherche en Physiologie Végétale (GRPV), Earth and Life Institute-Agronomy (ELI-A), Université Catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 4-5, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (S.L.); (M.Q.)
| | - Muriel Quinet
- Groupe de Recherche en Physiologie Végétale (GRPV), Earth and Life Institute-Agronomy (ELI-A), Université Catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 4-5, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (S.L.); (M.Q.)
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