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Rodrigues F, Sousa B, Soares C, Moreira D, Pereira C, Moutinho-Pereira J, Cunha A, Fidalgo F. Are tomato plants co-exposed to heat and salinity able to ensure a proper carbon metabolism? - An insight into the photosynthetic hub. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2024; 206:108270. [PMID: 38091934 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.108270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Abiotic stress combinations, such as high temperatures and soil/water salinization, severely threaten crop productivity worldwide. In this work, an integrative insight into the photosynthetic metabolism of tomato plants subjected to salt (100 mM NaCl) and/or heat (42 °C; 4 h/day) was performed. After three weeks, the stress combination led to more severe consequences on growth and photosynthetic pigments than the individual stresses. Regarding the photochemical efficiency, transcript accumulation and protein content of major actors (CP47 and D1) were depleted in all stressed plants, although the overall photochemical yield was not negatively affected under the co-exposure. Gas-exchange studies revealed to be mostly affected by salt (single or combined), which harshly compromised carbon assimilation. Additionally, transcript levels of stress-responsive genes (e.g., HsfA1 and NHX2) were differentially modulated by the single and combined treatments, suggesting the activation of stress-signature responses. Overall, by gathering an insightful overview of the main regulatory hub of photosynthesis, we show that the impacts on the carbon metabolism coming from the combination of heat and salinity, two major conditioners of crop yields, were not harsher than those of single stresses, indicating that the growth impairment might be attributed to a proficient distribution of resources towards defense mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisca Rodrigues
- GreenUPorto - Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre and INOV4AGRO, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; Biology Department and CBMA - Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, School of Sciences of University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Bruno Sousa
- GreenUPorto - Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre and INOV4AGRO, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Cristiano Soares
- GreenUPorto - Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre and INOV4AGRO, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Diana Moreira
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Cláudia Pereira
- GreenUPorto - Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre and INOV4AGRO, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - José Moutinho-Pereira
- CITAB - Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Ana Cunha
- Biology Department and CBMA - Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, School of Sciences of University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Fernanda Fidalgo
- GreenUPorto - Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre and INOV4AGRO, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
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Machado J, Vasconcelos MW, Soares C, Fidalgo F, Heuvelink E, Carvalho SMP. Young Tomato Plants Respond Differently under Single or Combined Mild Nitrogen and Water Deficit: An Insight into Morphophysiological Responses and Primary Metabolism. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:1181. [PMID: 36904041 PMCID: PMC10005627 DOI: 10.3390/plants12051181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to understand the morphophysiological responses and primary metabolism of tomato seedlings subjected to mild levels of nitrogen and/or water deficit (50% N and/or 50% W). After 16 days of exposure, plants grown under the combined deficit showed similar behavior to the one found upon exposure to single N deficit. Both N deficit treatments resulted in a significantly lower dry weight, leaf area, chlorophyll content, and N accumulation but in a higher N use efficiency when compared to control (CTR) plants. Moreover, concerning plant metabolism, at the shoot level, these two treatments also responded in a similar way, inducing higher C/N ratio, nitrate reductase (NR) and glutamine synthetase (GS) activity, expression of RuBisCO encoding genes as well as a downregulation of GS2.1 and GS2.2 transcripts. Interestingly, plant metabolic responses at the root level did not follow the same pattern, with plants under combined deficit behaving similarly to W deficit plants, resulting in enhanced nitrate and proline concentrations, NR activity, and an upregulation of GS1 and NR genes than in CTR plants. Overall, our data suggest that the N remobilization and osmoregulation strategies play a relevant role in plant acclimation to these abiotic stresses and highlight the complexity of plant responses under a combined N+W deficit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Machado
- GreenUPorto—Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre/Inov4Agro, DGAOT, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua da Agrária 747, 4485-646 Vairão, Portugal;
- CBQF—Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina—Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Rua Diogo Botelho 1327, 4169-005 Porto, Portugal
- Horticulture and Product Physiology Group, Department of Plant Sciences, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marta W. Vasconcelos
- CBQF—Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina—Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Rua Diogo Botelho 1327, 4169-005 Porto, Portugal
| | - Cristiano Soares
- GreenUPorto—Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre/Inov4Agro, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Fernanda Fidalgo
- GreenUPorto—Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre/Inov4Agro, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ep Heuvelink
- Horticulture and Product Physiology Group, Department of Plant Sciences, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Susana M. P. Carvalho
- GreenUPorto—Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre/Inov4Agro, DGAOT, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua da Agrária 747, 4485-646 Vairão, Portugal;
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