Modulation by cytosolic components of proton pump activities in plasma membrane and tonoplast from Cucumis sativus roots during salt stress

Mechanistic insights into the plant biostimulant activity of a novel formulation based on rice husk nanobiosilica embedded in a seed coating alginate film

Seed coating ensures the targeted delivery of various compounds from the early stages of development to increase crop quality and yield. Silicon and alginate are known to have plant biostimulant effects. Rice husk (RH) is a significant source of biosilica. In this study, we coated mung bean seeds with an alginate-glycerol-sorbitol (AGS) film with embedded biogenic nanosilica (SiNPs) from RH, with significant plant biostimulant activity. After dilute acid hydrolysis of ground RH in a temperature-controlled hermetic reactor, the resulting RH substrate was neutralized and calcined at 650°C. The structural and compositional characteristics of the native RH, the intermediate substrate, and SiNPs, as well as the release of soluble Si from SiNPs, were investigated. The film for seed coating was optimized using a mixture design with three factors. The physiological properties were assessed in the absence and the presence of 50 mM salt added from the beginning. The main parameters investigated were the growth, development, metabolic activity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism, and the Si content of seedlings. The results evidenced a homogeneous AGS film formation embedding 50-nm amorphous SiNPs having Si-O-Si and Si-OH bonds, 0.347 cm3/g CPV (cumulative pore volume), and 240 m2/g SSA (specific surface area). The coating film has remarkable properties of enhancing the metabolic, proton pump activities and ROS scavenging of mung seedlings under salt stress. The study shows that the RH biogenic SiNPs can be efficiently applied, together with the optimized, beneficial alginate-based film, as plant biostimulants that alleviate saline stress from the first stages of plant development.

The Plant V-ATPase

V-ATPase is the dominant proton pump in plant cells. It contributes to cytosolic pH homeostasis and energizes transport processes across endomembranes of the secretory pathway. Its localization in the trans Golgi network/early endosomes is essential for vesicle transport, for instance for the delivery of cell wall components. Furthermore, it is crucial for response to abiotic and biotic stresses. The V-ATPase's rather complex structure and multiple subunit isoforms enable high structural flexibility with respect to requirements for different organs, developmental stages, and organelles. This complexity further demands a sophisticated assembly machinery and transport routes in cells, a process that is still not fully understood. Regulation of V-ATPase is a target of phosphorylation and redox-modifications but also involves interactions with regulatory proteins like 14-3-3 proteins and the lipid environment. Regulation by reversible assembly, as reported for yeast and the mammalian enzyme, has not be proven in plants but seems to be absent in autotrophic cells. Addressing the regulation of V-ATPase is a promising approach to adjust its activity for improved stress resistance or higher crop yield.

Tissue-specific respiratory burst oxidase homolog-dependent H2O2 signaling to the plasma membrane H+-ATPase confers potassium uptake and salinity tolerance in Cucurbitaceae

Potassium (K+) is a critical determinant of salinity tolerance, and H2O2 has been recognized as an important signaling molecule that mediates many physiological responses. However, the details of how H2O2 signaling regulates K+ uptake in the root under salt stress remain elusive. In this study, salt-sensitive cucumber and salt-tolerant pumpkin which belong to the same family, Cucurbitaceae, were used to answer the above question. We show that higher salt tolerance in pumpkin was related to its superior ability for K+ uptake and higher H2O2 accumulation in the root apex. Transcriptome analysis showed that salinity induced 5816 (3005 up- and 2811 down-) and 4679 (3965 up- and 714 down-) differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in cucumber and pumpkin, respectively. DEGs encoding NADPH oxidase (respiratory burst oxidase homolog D; RBOHD), 14-3-3 protein (GRF12), plasma membrane H+-ATPase (AHA1), and potassium transporter (HAK5) showed higher expression in pumpkin than in cucumber under salinity stress. Treatment with the NADPH oxidase inhibitor diphenylene iodonium resulted in lower RBOHD, GRF12, AHA1, and HAK5 expression, reduced plasma membrane H+-ATPase activity, and lower K+ uptake, leading to a loss of the salinity tolerance trait in pumpkin. The opposite results were obtained when the plants were pre-treated with exogenous H2O2. Knocking out of RBOHD in pumpkin by CRISPR/Cas9 [clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9] editing of coding sequences resulted in lower root apex H2O2 and K+ content and GRF12, AHA1, and HAK5 expression, ultimately resulting in a salt-sensitive phenotype. However, ectopic expression of pumpkin RBOHD in Arabidopsis led to the opposite effect. Taken together, this study shows that RBOHD-dependent H2O2 signaling in the root apex is important for pumpkin salt tolerance and suggests a novel mechanism that confers this trait, namely RBOHD-mediated transcriptional and post-translational activation of plasma membrane H+-ATPase operating upstream of HAK5 K+ uptake transporters.

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of Cucumber BPC Transcription Factors and Their Responses to Abiotic Stresses and Exogenous Phytohormones

BASIC PENTACYSTEINE (BPC) is a small transcription factor family that functions in diverse growth and development processes in plants. However, the roles of BPCs in plants, especially cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), in response to abiotic stress and exogenous phytohormones are still unclear. Here, we identified four BPC genes in the cucumber genome, and classified them into two groups according to phylogenetic analysis. We also investigated the gene structures and detected five conserved motifs in these CsBPCs. Tissue expression pattern analysis revealed that the four CsBPCs were expressed ubiquitously in both vegetative and reproductive organs. Additionally, the transcriptional levels of the four CsBPCs were induced by various abiotic stress and hormone treatments. Overexpression of CsBPC2 in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) inhibited seed germination under saline, polyethylene glycol, and abscisic acid (ABA) conditions. The results suggest that the CsBPC genes may play crucial roles in cucumber growth and development, as well as responses to abiotic stresses and plant hormones. CsBPC2 overexpression in tobacco negatively affected seed germination under hyperosmotic conditions. Additionally, CsBPC2 functioned in ABA-inhibited seed germination and hypersensitivity to ABA-mediated responses. Our results provide fundamental information for further research on the biological functions of BPCs in development and abiotic stress responses in cucumber and other plant species.

Root respiratory burst oxidase homologue-dependent H2O2 production confers salt tolerance on a grafted cucumber by controlling Na+ exclusion and stomatal closure

Plant salt tolerance can be improved by grafting onto salt-tolerant rootstocks. However, the underlying signaling mechanisms behind this phenomenon remain largely unknown. To address this issue, we used a range of physiological and molecular techniques to study responses of self-grafted and pumpkin-grafted cucumber plants exposed to 75 mM NaCl stress. Pumpkin grafting significantly increased the salt tolerance of cucumber plants, as revealed by higher plant dry weight, chlorophyll content and photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), and lower leaf Na+ content. Salinity stress resulted in a sharp increase in H2O2 production, reaching a peak 3 h after salt treatment in the pumpkin-grafted cucumber. This enhancement was accompanied by elevated relative expression of respiratory burst oxidase homologue (RBOH) genes RbohD and RbohF and a higher NADPH oxidase activity. However, this increase was much delayed in the self-grafted plants, and the difference between the two grafting combinations disappeared after 24 h. The decreased leaf Na+ content of pumpkin-grafted plants was achieved by higher Na+ exclusion in roots, which was driven by the Na+/H+ antiporter energized by the plasma membrane H+-ATPase, as evidenced by the higher plasma membrane H+-ATPase activity and higher transcript levels for PMA and SOS1. In addition, early stomatal closure was also observed in the pumpkin-grafted cucumber plants, reducing water loss and maintaining the plant's hydration status. When pumpkin-grafted plants were pretreated with an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, diphenylene iodonium (DPI), the H2O2 level decreased significantly, to the level found in self-grafted plants, resulting in the loss of the salt tolerance. Inhibition of the NADPH oxidase-mediated H2O2 signaling in the root also abolished a rapid stomatal closure in the pumpkin-grafted plants. We concluded that the pumpkin-grafted cucumber plants increase their salt tolerance via a mechanism involving the root-sourced respiratory burst oxidase homologue-dependent H2O2 production, which enhances Na+ exclusion from the root and promotes an early stomatal closure.

Involvement of signalling molecules NO, H2O2 and H2S in modification of plasma membrane proton pump in cucumber roots subjected to salt or low temperature stress

In the present study we demonstrate that the signalling molecules NO, H2O2 and H2S are important for understanding the mechanisms of modification of plasma membrane H+-ATPase (EC 3.6.3.14) activity in conditions of both salt (50mM NaCl) and low temperature (10°C, LT) stress. Plants were subjected to stress conditions for 1 or 6 days. After 3 days of exposure to stress some of the plants were transferred to control conditions for another 3 days: post-stressed plants (3+3). We measured the endogenous levels of signalling molecules in stressed plants. To determine the physiological significance of NO, H2O2 and H2S induced activity of plasma membrane H+-ATPase (PM H+-ATPase) in salt and LT stresses, we investigated the activity of the plasma membrane proton pump in stress conditions, and plants were additionally supplemented with PTIO (a scavenger of NO), ascorbic acid (a scavenger of H2O2) or hypotaurine (a scavenger of H2S). H2S contributed to increased activity of PM H+-ATPase in short-term salt stress (1 day) and in low temperature treated plants (both 6 days and post-stressed plants), by stimulation of expression of several genes encoding isoforms of the plasma membrane proton pump (CsHA2, CsH4, CsH8, CsH9 and CsHA10). In contrast, NO and H2O2 play a minor role in the regulation of ATPase activity at the genetic level, because they significantly increased the expression of only one isoform, CsHA1, the expression level of which was very low in the tissues of the control plants, and additionally they slightly increased the expression of the gene encoding the isoform CsHA2. However, NO plays an important role in stimulation of the plasma membrane proton pumps under salt stress and low temperature. NO participates in post-translational modifications because it leads to increased enzyme phosphorylation and an increased H+/ATP coupling ratio.

The wheat E subunit of V-type H+-ATPase is involved in the plant response to osmotic stress

The vacuolar type H⁺-ATPase (V-type H⁺-ATPase) plays important roles in establishing an electrochemical H⁺-gradient across tonoplast, energizing Na⁺ sequestration into the central vacuole, and enhancing salt stress tolerance in plants. In this paper, a putative E subunit of the V-type H⁺-ATPase gene, W36 was isolated from stress-induced wheat de novo transcriptome sequencing combining with 5'-RACE and RT-PCR methods. The full-length of W36 gene was 1097 bp, which contained a 681 bp open reading frame (ORF) and encoded 227 amino acids. Southern blot analysis indicated that W36 was a single-copy gene. The quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis revealed that the expression level of W36 could be upregulated by drought, cold, salt, and exogenous ABA treatment. A subcellular localization assay showed that the W36 protein accumulated in the cytoplasm. Isolation of the W36 promoter revealed some cis-acting elements responding to abiotic stresses. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing W36 were enhanced salt and mannitol tolerance. These results indicate that W36 is involved in the plant response to osmotic stress.

Salt adaptation requires efficient fine-tuning of jasmonate signalling

Understanding the mechanism by which plants sense, signal and respond to salinity stress is of great interest to plant biologists. In stress signalling, often the same molecules are involved in both damage-related and adaptive events. To dissect this complexity, we compared the salinity responses of two grapevine cell lines differing in their salinity tolerance. We followed rapid changes in the cellular content of sodium and calcium, apoplastic alkalinisation and slower responses in the levels of jasmonic acid, its active isoleucine conjugate and abscisic acid, as well as of stilbenes. Differences in timing and sensitivity to either the lanthanoid Gd or exogenous calcium provide evidence for an adaptive role of early sodium uptake through non-selective cation channels acting upstream of Ca(2+) and H(+) fluxes. We find a correlation of salt sensitivity with unconstrained jasmonate (JA) signalling, whereas salt adaptation correlates with tight control of jasmonic acid and its isoleucine conjugate, accompanied by accumulation of abscisic acid and suppression of stilbenes that trigger defence-related cell death. The data are discussed by a model where efficient fine-tuning of JA signalling determines whether cells will progress towards adaptation or programme cell death.

Life and death under salt stress: same players, different timing?

Salinity does not only stress plants but also challenges human life and the economy by posing severe constraints upon agriculture. To understand salt adaptation strategies of plants, it is central to extend agricultural production to salt-affected soils. Despite high impact and intensive research, it has been difficult to dissect the plant responses to salt stress and to define the decisive key factors for the outcome of salinity signalling. To connect the rapidly accumulating data from different systems, treatments, and organization levels (whole-plant, cellular, and molecular), and to identify the appropriate correlations among them, a clear conceptual framework is required. Similar to other stress responses, the molecular nature of the signals evoked after the onset of salt stress seems to be general, as with that observed in response to many other stimuli, and should not be considered to confer specificity per se. The focus of the current review is therefore on the temporal patterns of signals conveyed by molecules such as Ca(2+), H(+), reactive oxygen species, abscisic acid, and jasmonate. We propose that the outcome of the salinity response (adaptation versus cell death) depends on the timing with which these signals appear and disappear. In this context, the often-neglected non-selective cation channels are relevant. We also propose that constraining a given signal is as important as its induction, as it is the temporal competence of signalling (signal on demand) that confers specificity.

A novel fluorescence imaging approach to monitor salt stress-induced modulation of ouabain-sensitive ATPase activity in sunflower seedling roots

Seedlings exposed to salt stress are expected to show modulation of intracellular accumulation of sodium ions through a variety of mechanisms. Using a new methodology, this work demonstrates ouabain (OU)-sensitive ATPase activity in the roots of sunflower seedlings subjected to salt stress (120 mM NaCl). 9-Anthroylouabain (a derivative of ouabain known to inhibit Na(+), K(+) -ATPase activity in animal systems, EC 3.6.3.9) has been used as a probe to analyze OU-sensitive ATPase activity in sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seedling roots by spectrofluorometric estimation and localization of its spatial distribution using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Salt stress for 48 h leads to a significant induction of OU-sensitive ATPase activity in the meristematic region of the seedling roots. Calcium ions (10 mM) significantly inhibit enzyme activity and a parallel accumulation of sodium ions in the cytosol of the columella cells, epidermis and in the cells of the meristematic region of the roots is evident. As a rapid response to NaCl stress, the activity of OU-sensitive ATPase gets localized in the nuclear membrane of root protoplasts and it gets inhibited after treatment with calcium ions. Nuclear membrane localization of the OU-sensitive ATPase activity highlights a possible mechanism to efflux sodium ions from the nucleus. Thus, a correlation between OU-sensitive ATPase activity, its modulation by calcium ions and accumulation of sodium ions in various regions of the seedling roots, has been demonstrated using a novel approach in a plant system.

NO₃⁻/H⁺ antiport in the tonoplast of cucumber root cells is stimulated by nitrate supply: evidence for a reversible nitrate-induced phosphorylation of vacuolar NO₃⁻/H⁺ antiport

Studies in the last few years have shed light on the process of nitrate accumulation within plant cells, achieving molecular identification and partial characterization of the genes and proteins involved in this process. However, contrary to the plasma membrane-localized nitrate transport activities, the kinetics of active nitrate influx into the vacuole and its adaptation to external nitrate availability remain poorly understood. In this work, we have investigated the activity and regulation of the tonoplast-localized H⁺/NO₃⁻ antiport in cucumber roots in response to N starvation and NO₃⁻ induction. The time course of nitrate availability strongly influenced H⁺/NO₃⁻ antiport activity at the tonoplast of root cells. However, under N starvation active nitrate accumulation within the vacuole still occurred. Hence, either a constitutive H⁺-coupled transport system specific for nitrate operates at the tonoplast, or nitrate uses another transport protein of broader specificity to different anions to enter the vacuole via a proton-dependent process. H⁺/NO₃⁻ antiport in cucumber was significantly stimulated in NO₃⁻-induced plants that were supplied with nitrate for 24 hours following 6-day-long N starvation. The cytosolic fraction isolated from the roots of NO₃⁻-induced plants significantly stimulated H⁺/NO₃⁻ antiport in tonoplast membranes isolated from cucumbers growing on nitrate. The stimulatory effect of the cytosolic fraction was completely abolished by EGTA and the protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine and slightly enhanced by the phosphatase inhibitors okadaic acid and cantharidin. Hence, we conclude that stimulation of H⁺/NO₃⁻ antiport at the tonoplast of cucumber roots in response to nitrate provision may occur through the phosphorylation of a membrane antiporter involving Ca-dependent, staurosporine-sensitive protein kinase.

Modification of plasma membrane proton pumps in cucumber roots as an adaptation mechanism to salt stress

The effect of salt stress (50mM NaCl) on modification of plasma membrane (PM) H(+)-ATPase (EC 3.6.3.14) activity in cucumber roots was studied. Plants were grown under salt stress for 1, 3 or 6 days. In salt-stressed plants, weak stimulation of ATP hydrolytic activity of PM H(+)-ATPase and significant stimulation of proton transport through the plasma membrane were observed. The H(+)/ATP coupling ratio in the plasma membrane of plants subjected to salt stress significantly increased. The greatest stimulation of PM H(+)-ATPase was in 6-day stressed plants. Increased H2O2 accumulation under salt stress conditions in cucumber roots was also observed, with the greatest accumulation observed in 6-day stressed plants. Additionally, during the sixth day of salinity, there appeared heat shock proteins (HSPs) 17.7 and 101, suggesting that repair processes and adaptation to stress occurred in plants. Under salt stress conditions, fast post-translational modifications took place. Protein blot analysis with antibody against phosphothreonine and 14-3-3 proteins showed that, under salinity, the level of those elements increased. Additionally, under salt stress, activity changes of PM H(+)-ATPase can partly result from changes in the pattern of expression of PM H(+)-ATPase genes. In cucumber seedlings, there was increased expression of CsHA10 under salt stress and the transcript of a new PM H(+)-ATPase gene isoform, CsHA1, also appeared. Accumulation of the CsHA1 transcript was induced by NaCl exposure, and was not expressed at detectable levels in roots of control plants. The appearance of a new PM H(+)-ATPase transcript, in addition to the increase in enzyme activity, indicates the important role of the enzyme in maintaining ion homeostasis in plants under salt stress.

Energization of vacuolar transport in plant cells and its significance under stress

The plant vacuole is of prime importance in buffering environmental perturbations and in coping with abiotic stress caused by, for example, drought, salinity, cold, or UV. The large volume, the efficient integration in anterograde and retrograde vesicular trafficking, and the dynamic equipment with tonoplast transporters enable the vacuole to fulfill indispensible functions in cell biology, for example, transient and permanent storage, detoxification, recycling, pH and redox homeostasis, cell expansion, biotic defence, and cell death. This review first focuses on endomembrane dynamics and then summarizes the functions, assembly, and regulation of secretory and vacuolar proton pumps: (i) the vacuolar H(+)-ATPase (V-ATPase) which represents a multimeric complex of approximately 800 kDa, (ii) the vacuolar H(+)-pyrophosphatase, and (iii) the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase. These primary proton pumps regulate the cytosolic pH and provide the driving force for secondary active transport. Carriers and ion channels modulate the proton motif force and catalyze uptake and vacuolar compartmentation of solutes and deposition of xenobiotics or secondary compounds such as flavonoids. ABC-type transporters directly energized by MgATP complement the transport portfolio that realizes the multiple functions in stress tolerance of plants.

Abscisic acid and hydrogen peroxide induce modification of plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase from Cucumis sativus L. roots under heat shock

We examined the effect of heat shock (HS), for 2 h at 48°C, on plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase (PM-H(+)-ATPase) measured as the hydrolytic and H(+)-pumping activity. Some of the plants were transferred after 2 h HS to control temperature for another 24 h, as post-stressed (PS) plants. A significant increase of PM-H(+)-ATPase in plants subjected to HS was observed. The stimulation of PM-H(+)-ATPase was higher in PS plants. Estimation of transcript levels of cucumber PM-H(+)-ATPase in roots indicated that the action of HS affected gene expression levels. Transcript levels of two isoforms, CsHA4 and CsHA8, in PS plants were elevated. The expression of PM-H(+)-ATPase genes was not affected in plants treated for 2 h with HS. HS elevated the endogenous level of abscisic acid (ABA) both in plants treated for 2 h with HS and in PS plants. Moreover, in PS plants, a distinctly higher level of H(2)O(2) was observed. It was also demonstrated that transcript levels of PM-H(+)-ATPase were elevated in cucumber roots after 24-h treatment of plants with ABA or H(2)O(2). Both of these compounds seem to play an important role in increasing ATPase activity during heat stress, because the use of the inhibitors tungstate and DPI restrained stimulation of PM-H(+)-ATPase activity by heat. Moreover, protein blot analysis with an antibody against phosphothreonine and 14-3-3 protein indicated that increased activity of PM-H(+)-ATPase under HS resulted from phosphorylation of the enzyme. Taken together, the data presented here suggest that, under post-heat stress conditions, abscisic acid and hydrogen peroxide are involved in PM-ATPase modification, through stimulation of gene expression of that PM proton pump. Moreover, heat treatment of cucumber plants results in increased phosphorylation of PM-ATPase and thus fast post-translational modification, leading to activation of the enzyme protein.

Genome-wide identification and characterization of R2R3MYB family in Cucumis sativus

BACKGROUND

The R2R3MYB proteins comprise one of the largest families of transcription factors in plants. Although genome-wide analysis of this family has been carried out in some species, little is known about R2R3MYB genes in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.).

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

This study has identified 55 R2R3MYB genes in the latest cucumber genome and the CsR2R3MYB family contained the smallest number of identified genes compared to other species that have been studied due to the absence of recent gene duplication events. These results were also supported by genome distribution and gene duplication analysis. Phylogenetic analysis showed that they could be classified into 11 subgroups. The evolutionary relationships and the intron-exon organizations that showed similarities with Arabidopsis, Vitis and Glycine R2R3MYB proteins were also analyzed and suggested strong gene conservation but also the expansions of particular functional genes during the evolution of the plant species. In addition, we found that 8 out of 55 (∼14.54%) cucumber R2R3MYB genes underwent alternative splicing events, producing a variety of transcripts from a single gene, which illustrated the extremely high complexity of transcriptome regulation. Tissue-specific expression profiles showed that 50 cucumber R2R3MYB genes were expressed in at least one of the tissues and the other 5 genes showed very low expression in all tissues tested, which suggested that cucumber R2R3MYB genes took part in many cellular processes. The transcript abundance level analysis during abiotic conditions (NaCl, ABA and low temperature treatments) identified a group of R2R3MYB genes that responded to one or more treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

This study has produced a comparative genomics analysis of the cucumber R2R3MYB gene family and has provided the first steps towards the selection of CsR2R3MYB genes for cloning and functional dissection that can be used in further studies to uncover their roles in cucumber growth and development.

Response of plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase to low temperature in cucumber roots

The effect of low temperature (LT, 10°C) on modification of plasma membrane (PM) H(+)-ATPase (EC 3.6.3.14) activity in cucumber roots was studied. Plants were grown under LT for 3 or 6 days. Some of the plants after 3 days exposure to LT were transferred to control conditions for another 3 days (post-cold, PC). The activity of PM-H(+)-ATPase was decreased in plants treated for 3 days with LT. However, the activity of PM-H(+)-ATPase was higher in plants treated with LT for a longer time and in PC plants as well. Estimation of transcript levels of cucumber PM-H(+)-ATPase in roots indicates that the action of LT involves the gene expression level. The level of PM-H(+)-ATPase mRNA was markedly decreased in roots exposed to LT for 3 days. Moreover, the increased H(+)-ATPase activity in PM isolated from plants treated for 6 days with LT and from PC plants was positively correlated with higher levels of CsHA transcripts. Western blot analysis with an anti-phosphothreonine antibody showed that modification of the activity of PM-H(+)-ATPase under LT stress did not result from phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of the enzyme protein. However, the stimulation of PM-H(+)-ATPase activity in the case of PC plants could partially have emanated from increased activity of PM NAD(P)H oxidoreductase. In addition, modification of the transcript level of proton pump genes could have resulted from the action of H(2)O(2). In PC plants, an increase in H(2)O(2) level was observed. Moreover, treatment of plants with H(2)O(2) induced expression of PM H(+)-ATPase genes.

Involvement of calcium-mediated effects on ROS metabolism in the regulation of growth improvement under salinity

Salinity reduces Ca(2+) availability, transport, and mobility to growing regions of the plant and supplemental Ca(2+) is known to reduce salinity damages. This study was undertaken to unravel some of the ameliorative mechanisms of Ca(2+) on salt stress at the cellular and tissue levels. Zea mays L. plants were grown in nutrient solution containing 1 or 80 mM NaCl with various Ca(2+) levels. Measurements of growth and physiological parameters, such as ion imbalance, indicated that the Ca(2+)-induced alleviation mechanisms differed between plant organs. Under salinity, H(2)O(2) levels increased in the leaf-growing tissue with increasing levels of supplemental Ca(2+) and reached the levels of control plants, whereas superoxide levels remained low at all Ca(2+) levels, indicating that Ca(2+) affected growth by increasing H(2)O(2) but not superoxide levels. Salinity completely abolished apoplastic peroxidase activity. Supplemental Ca(2+) increased its activity only slightly. However, under salinity, polyamine oxidase (PAO) activity was shifted toward the leaf base probably as an adaptive mechanism aimed at restoring normal levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at the expansion zone where NADPH oxidase could no longer provide the required ROS for growth. Interestingly, addition of Ca(2+) shifted the PAO-activity peak back to its original location in addition to its enhancement. The increase in PAO activity in conjunction with low levels of apoplastic peroxidase is supportive of cellular growth via nonenzymatic wall loosening derived by the increase in H(2)O(2) and less supportive of the peroxidase-mediated cross-linking of wall material. Thus extracellular Ca(2+) can modulate ROS levels at specific tissue localization and developmental stages thereby affecting cellular extension.

NH(4)(+)-stimulated low-K(+) uptake is associated with the induction of H(+) extrusion by the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase in sorghum roots under K(+) deficiency

The effect of external inorganic nitrogen and K(+) content on K(+) uptake from low-K(+) solutions and plasma membrane (PM) H(+)-ATPase activity of sorghum roots was studied. Plants were grown for 15 days in full-nutrient solutions containing 0.2 or 1.4mM K(+) and inorganic nitrogen as NO(3)(-), NO(3)(-)/NH(4)(+) or NH(4)(+) and then starved of K(+) for 24, 48 and 72 h. NH(4)(+) in full nutrient solution significantly affected the uptake efficiency and accumulation of K(+), and this effect was less pronounced at the high K(+) concentration. In contrast, the translocation rate of K(+) to the shoot was not altered. Depletion assays showed that plants grown with NH(4)(+) more efficiently depleted the external K(+) and reached higher initial rates of low-K(+) uptake than plants grown with NO(3)(-). One possible influence of K(+) content of shoot, but not of roots, on K(+) uptake was evidenced. Enhanced K(+)-uptake capacity was correlated with the induction of H(+) extrusion by PM H(+)-ATPase. In plants grown in high K(+) solutions, the increase in the active H(+) gradient was associated with an increase of the PM H(+)-ATPase protein concentration. In contrast, in plants grown in solutions containing 0.2mM K(+), only the initial rate of H(+)-pumping and ATP hydrolysis were affected. Under these conditions, two specific isoforms of PM H(+)-ATPase were detected, independent of the nitrogen source and deficiency period. No change in enzyme activity was observed in NO(3)(-)-grown plants. The results suggest that K(+) homeostasis in NH(4)(+)-grown sorghum plants may be regulated by a high capacity for K(+) uptake, which is dependent upon the H(+)-pumping activity of PM H(+)-ATPase.

Different responses of tonoplast proton pumps in cucumber roots to cadmium and copper

Cadmium (Cd) and copper (Cu) effects on the two tonoplast proton pumps were compared in cucumber roots. Different alterations of vacuolar H+ transporting ATPase (V-ATPase) (EC 3.6.3.14) and vacuolar H+ transporting pyrophosphatase (V-PPase) (EC 3.6.1.1) activities under heavy metal stress were investigated. ATP-dependent proton transport and ATP hydrolysis increased after exposure of seedlings to Cu, whereas both decreased in plants stressed with Cd. PP(i) hydrolysis was relatively insensitive to both heavy metals. However, cadmium, but not copper, clearly inhibited PP(i)-driven H+ transport. Changes in enzyme activities were not due to the metal action on the expression of CsVHA-A, CsVHA-c and CsVP genes encoding V-ATPase subunit A and c, and V-PPase, respectively, in cucumber roots. Moreover, immunoblot analysis using specific antibodies against V-ATPase holoenzyme, phosphoserine and phosphothreonine suggested that the phosphorylation at Ser residue in regulatory subunit B of cucumber V-ATPase was not regulated by metals. Oxidative alterations of membrane lipids were measured as malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Cu ions, in contrast to Cd, visibly enhanced the lipid peroxidation in the root tonoplast fractions. Because ATP and PP(i) are absolutely required by V-ATPase and V-PPase, respectively, for proton transport, their contents were determined in the control roots and roots treated with cadmium and copper. Both ATP and pyrophosphate amounts decreased under heavy metal stress.

Hydrolytic and pumping activity of H+-ATPase from leaves of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) as affected by salt stress

Cell wall extensibility plays an important role in plant growth. According to the acid-growth theory, lower apoplastic pH allows extension growth by affecting cell wall extensibility. A lowered apoplastic pH is presumed to activate wall-loosening enzymes that control plant growth. Plasma membrane (PM) H(+)-ATPases play a major role in the apoplastic acidification by H(+) transport from cytosol to the apoplast. A salt-induced decrease in H(+)-pumping activity of plasma membrane H(+)-ATPases in salt-sensitive maize plants has previously been found. This led us to formulate the hypothesis that salt-resistant plant species such as sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) may have a mechanism to eliminate the effect of higher salt concentrations on plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase activity. In the present study, sugar beet plants were grown in 1mM NaCl (control) or 150 mM NaCl in hydroponics. H(+)-ATPase hydrolytic and pumping activities were measured in plasma membrane vesicles isolated from sugar beet shoots. We found that plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase hydrolytic and pumping activities were not affected by application of 150 mM NaCl. Moreover, apoplastic pH was also not affected under salt stress. However, a decrease in plant growth was observed. We assume that growth reduction was not due to a decrease in PM-H(+)-ATPase activity, but that other factors may be responsible for growth inhibition of sugar beet plants under salt stress.

The role of polyamines in the regulation of the plasma membrane and the tonoplast proton pumps under salt stress

Polyamine content (PAs) often changes in response to abiotic stresses. It was shown that the accumulation of PAs decreased in roots treated for 24h with 200 mM NaCl. The role of polyamines (putrescine - PUT, spermidine - SPD and spermine - SPM) in the modification of the plasma membrane(PM) H(+)-ATPase (EC 3.6.3.6) and the vacuolar(V) H(+)-ATPase (EC 3.6.3.14) activities in cucumber roots treated with NaCl was investigated. 24h treatment of seedlings with 50 microM PUT, SPD or SPM lowered the activities of proton pumps in both membranes. The decreased H(+)-ATPase activity in plasma membranes isolated from the PA-treated roots was positively correlated with a lower level of PM-H(+)-ATPase CsHA3 transcript. However, transcript levels of PM-H(+)-ATPase CsHA2 and V-ATPase subunit A and c in roots treated with 50 microM PAs were similar to those in the control. Additionally, treatment of plants with salt markedly increased the activity of the PM- and V-H(+)-ATPases. However, exposure of plants to 20% PEG had no effect on these activities. These data suggest that, under salt stress conditions, the increase in H(+)-ATPase activities is caused mainly by the ionic component of salt stress. It seems that the main role of the PAs in the 24h salt-treated cucumber plants could be a result of their cationic character. The PA levels decreased when concentration of Na(+) increased, so action of PAs contributes to ionic equilibrium. Moreover, the decrease in the concentration of polyamines, which inhibit the PM-H(+)-ATPase and the V-H(+)-ATPase, at least under the studied conditions, seems to be beneficial. Thus, plants can increase salinity tolerance by modifying the biosynthesis of polyamines.

Identification of salt-induced genes from Salicornia brachiata, an extreme halophyte through expressed sequence tags analysis

Salinity severely affects plant growth and development causing crop loss worldwide. We have isolated a large number of salt-induced genes as well as unknown and hypothetical genes from Salicornia brachiata Roxb. (Amaranthaceae). This is the first description of identification of genes in response to salinity stress in this extreme halophyte plant. Salicornia accumulates salt in its pith and survives even at 2 M NaCl under field conditions. For isolating salt responsive genes, cDNA subtractive hybridization was performed between control and 500 mM NaCl treated plants. Out of the 1200 recombinant clones, 930 sequences were submitted to the NCBI database (GenBank accession: EB484528 to EB485289 and EC906125 to EC906292). 789 ESTs showed matching with different genes in NCBI database. 4.8% ESTs belonged to stress-tolerant gene category and approximately 29% ESTs showed no homology with known functional gene sequences, thus classified as unknown or hypothetical. The detection of a large number of ESTs with unknown putative function in this species makes it an interesting contribution. The 90 unknown and hypothetical genes were selected to study their differential regulation by reverse Northern analysis for identifying their role in salinity tolerance. Interestingly, both up and down regulation at 500 mM NaCl were observed (21 and 10 genes, respectively). Northern analysis of two important salt tolerant genes, ASR1 (Abscisic acid stress ripening gene) and plasma membrane H+ATPase, showed the basal level of transcripts in control condition and an increase with NaCl treatment. ASR1 gene is made full length using 5' RACE and its potential role in imparting salt tolerance is being studied.

Modification of vacuolar proton pumps in cucumber roots under salt stress

The time-dependent effect of 50mM NaCl on the activities of two tonoplast proton pumps was investigated in Cucumis sativus L. var. Krak root cells. Distinct activity profiles for vacuolar proton transporting ATPase (V-ATPase) (EC 3.6.3.14) and vacuolar proton transporting pyrophosphatase (V-PPase) (EC 3.6.1.1) under salinity are presented. ATP-dependent proton transport and ATP hydrolysis increased after 24h of NaCl exposure, and then decreased in roots stressed with NaCl for 4 and 8d. Both PP(i)-driven H(+) transport and PP(i) hydrolysis were clearly inhibited by NaCl at all times examined. It was demonstrated that changes in enzyme activities were not due to the salt action on the expression of encoding genes. The levels of specific transcripts for subunit A of V-ATPase (CsVHA-A), subunit c of V-ATPase (CsVHA-c) and V-PPase (CsVP) were similar in cucumber roots untreated (control) and treated with salt. Such results suggest that alterations of proton pump activities under salinity are rather due to the post-translational alterations induced by NaCl.

The involvement of calcium in the regulation of GPX1 expression

Detrimental effects of salinity on plants are known to be partially alleviated by external Ca(2+). Previously we demonstrated that in citrus cells, phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (GPX1) is induced by salt and its activation can be monitored by pGPX1::GUS fusion in transformed tobacco cells. In this paper we further characterized the induction of GPX1 by additional treatments, which are known to affect Ca(2+) transport. Omission of Ca(2+) changed the pattern of the transient salt-induced expression of GPX1 and chelation of Ca(2+) by EGTA, or treatment with caffeine, abolished the salt-induced GPX1 transcript. On the other hand, La(3+) was found to be as potent as NaCl in inducing GPX1 transcription and the combined effect of La(3+) and NaCl seemed to be additive. Pharmacological perturbation of either external or internal Ca(2+) pools by La(3+), EGTA, caffeine, Ca(2+) channel blockers, or a Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitor rendered the imposed salt stress more severe. Except for La(3+), all these Ca(2+) effectors had no effect on their own. In addition, the fluidizer benzyl alcohol dramatically increased the NaCl-induced GPX1 transcription. Taken together, our results show that: 1) the mode of action of La(3+) on GPX1 expression differs from its established role as a Ca(2+) channel blocker, 2) membrane integrity has an important role in the perception of salt stress, and 3) internal stores of Ca(2+) are involved in activating GPX1 expression in response to salt stress. We propose that the common basis for these effects lies in the membrane bound Ca(2+).

Response of plasma membrane H+-ATPase to heavy metal stress in Cucumis sativus roots

The effect of heavy metals on the modification of plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase (EC 3.6.3.14) activity in cucumber roots was studied. In plants stressed for 2 h with 10 microM or 100 microM Cd, Cu or Ni the hydrolytic as well as the transporting activity of H(+)-ATPase in the plasma membranes of root cells was decreased. Transcript levels of Cucumis sativus plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase in roots treated with 10 microM Cd, Cu, or Ni as well as with 100 microM Cu or Ni were similar to the control, indicating that the action of metals did not involve the gene expression level. Only in roots exposed to 100 microM Cd was the level of plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase mRNA markedly decreased. The inhibition of the plasma membrane proton pump caused by 100 microM Cd, Cu and Ni was partially diminished in the presence of cantharidin, a specific inhibitor of protein phosphatases. Western blot analysis with the antibody against phosphothreonine confirmed that decreased activity of plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase under heavy metals resulted from dephosphorylation of the enzyme protein. Taken together, these data strongly indicated that alteration of the enzyme under heavy metal stresses was mainly due to the post-translational modification of its proteins in short-term experiments.

Modification of plasma membrane and vacuolar H+ -ATPases in response to NaCL and ABA

The role of ABA in the modification of membrane proton pump activity in cucumber roots which had been stressed for 24h with 200 mmol/dm(3) NaCl was investigated. It was shown that treatment of plants with salt distinctly increased the activity of the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase (EC 3.6.3.6) as well as of the vacuolar H(+)-ATPase (EC 3.6.3.14). In roots treated with NaCl, an increase of ABA level was observed. Moreover, 24-h treatment of seedlings with 50 micro mol/dm(3) ABA increased the activity of proton pumps in both membranes. However, when ABA was added to the reaction medium, no changes in ATPase activities were observed. The increased H(+)-ATPase activity in plasma membranes isolated from the ABA-treated roots was positively correlated with a higher level of PM-H(+)-ATPase transcript. These data have provided evidence that under salt stress conditions, the role of ABA action due to salinity on the induction of the PM-H(+)-ATPase could be at the level of gene expression.

Extracellular Ca2+ ameliorates NaCl-induced K+ loss from Arabidopsis root and leaf cells by controlling plasma membrane K+ -permeable channels

Calcium can ameliorate Na+ toxicity in plants by decreasing Na+ influx through nonselective cation channels. Here, we show that elevated external [Ca2+] also inhibits Na+ -induced K+ efflux through outwardly directed, K+ -permeable channels. Noninvasive ion flux measuring and patch-clamp techniques were used to characterize K+ fluxes from Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) root mature epidermis and leaf mesophyll under various Ca2+ to Na+ ratios. NaCl-induced K+ efflux was not related to the osmotic component of the salt stress, was inhibited by the K+ channel blocker TEA+, was not mediated by inwardly directed K+ channels (tested in the akt1 mutant), and resulted in a significant decrease in cytosolic K+ content. NaCl-induced K+ efflux was partially inhibited by 1 mm Ca2+ and fully prevented by 10 mm Ca2+. This ameliorative effect was at least partially attributed to a less dramatic NaCl-induced membrane depolarization under high Ca2+ conditions. Patch-clamp experiments (whole-cell mode) have demonstrated that two populations of Ca2+ -sensitive K+ efflux channels exist in protoplasts isolated from the mature epidermis of Arabidopsis root and leaf mesophyll cells. The instantaneously activating K+ efflux channels showed weak voltage dependence and insensitivity to external and internal Na+. Another population of K+ efflux channels was slowly activating, steeply rectifying, and highly sensitive to Na+. K+ efflux channels in roots and leaves showed different Ca2+ and Na+ sensitivities, suggesting that these organs may employ different strategies to withstand salinity. Our results suggest an additional mechanism of Ca2+ action on salt toxicity in plants: the amelioration of K+ loss from the cell by regulating (both directly and indirectly) K+ efflux channels.