Responses to Water Deficit and Salt Stress in Silver Fir (<i>Abies alba</i> Mill.) Seedlings
Forest ecosystems are frequently exposed to abiotic stress, which adversely affects their growth, resistance and survival. For silver fir (<i>Abies alba</i>), the physiological and biochemical responses to water and salt stress have not been extensively studied. Responses of one-year-old...
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doaj-9d3e2ad9d371430da62f86cde88110782020-11-25T02:21:57ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072020-04-011139539510.3390/f11040395Responses to Water Deficit and Salt Stress in Silver Fir (<i>Abies alba</i> Mill.) SeedlingsIrina Maria Todea (Morar)0Sara González-Orenga1Monica Boscaiu2Mariola Plazas3Adriana F. Sestras4Jaime Prohens5Oscar Vicente6Radu E. Sestras7Faculty of Horticulture, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaMediterranean Agroforestry Institute (IAM), Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, SpainMediterranean Agroforestry Institute (IAM), Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, SpainInstitute for Conservation and Improvement of Valencian Agrodiversity (COMAV), Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, SpainFaculty of Horticulture, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaInstitute for Conservation and Improvement of Valencian Agrodiversity (COMAV), Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, SpainInstitute for Conservation and Improvement of Valencian Agrodiversity (COMAV), Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, SpainFaculty of Horticulture, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaForest ecosystems are frequently exposed to abiotic stress, which adversely affects their growth, resistance and survival. For silver fir (<i>Abies alba</i>), the physiological and biochemical responses to water and salt stress have not been extensively studied. Responses of one-year-old seedlings to a 30-day water stress (withholding irrigation) or salt stress (100, 200 and 300 mM NaCl) treatments were analysed by determining stress-induced changes in growth parameters and different biochemical markers: accumulation of ions, different osmolytes and malondialdehyde (MDA, an oxidative stress biomarker), in the seedlings, and activation of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems. Both salt and water stress caused growth inhibition. The results obtained indicated that the most relevant responses to drought are based on the accumulation of soluble carbohydrates as osmolytes/osmoprotectants. Responses to high salinity, on the other hand, include the active transport of Na<sup>+</sup>, Cl<sup>−</sup> and Ca<sup>2+</sup> to the needles, the maintenance of relatively high K<sup>+</sup>/Na<sup>+</sup> ratios and the accumulation of proline and soluble sugars for osmotic balance. Interestingly, relatively high Na<sup>+</sup> concentrations were measured in the needles of <i>A. alba</i> seedlings at low external salinity, suggesting that Na<sup>+</sup> can contribute to osmotic adjustment as a ‘cheap’ osmoticum, and its accumulation may represent a constitutive mechanism of defence against stress. These responses appear to be efficient enough to avoid the generation of high levels of oxidative stress, in agreement with the small increase in MDA contents and the relatively weak activation of the tested antioxidant systems.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/4/395abiotic stressantioxidantsdroughtion homeostasisosmolytessalinity |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Irina Maria Todea (Morar) Sara González-Orenga Monica Boscaiu Mariola Plazas Adriana F. Sestras Jaime Prohens Oscar Vicente Radu E. Sestras |
spellingShingle |
Irina Maria Todea (Morar) Sara González-Orenga Monica Boscaiu Mariola Plazas Adriana F. Sestras Jaime Prohens Oscar Vicente Radu E. Sestras Responses to Water Deficit and Salt Stress in Silver Fir (<i>Abies alba</i> Mill.) Seedlings Forests abiotic stress antioxidants drought ion homeostasis osmolytes salinity |
author_facet |
Irina Maria Todea (Morar) Sara González-Orenga Monica Boscaiu Mariola Plazas Adriana F. Sestras Jaime Prohens Oscar Vicente Radu E. Sestras |
author_sort |
Irina Maria Todea (Morar) |
title |
Responses to Water Deficit and Salt Stress in Silver Fir (<i>Abies alba</i> Mill.) Seedlings |
title_short |
Responses to Water Deficit and Salt Stress in Silver Fir (<i>Abies alba</i> Mill.) Seedlings |
title_full |
Responses to Water Deficit and Salt Stress in Silver Fir (<i>Abies alba</i> Mill.) Seedlings |
title_fullStr |
Responses to Water Deficit and Salt Stress in Silver Fir (<i>Abies alba</i> Mill.) Seedlings |
title_full_unstemmed |
Responses to Water Deficit and Salt Stress in Silver Fir (<i>Abies alba</i> Mill.) Seedlings |
title_sort |
responses to water deficit and salt stress in silver fir (<i>abies alba</i> mill.) seedlings |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Forests |
issn |
1999-4907 |
publishDate |
2020-04-01 |
description |
Forest ecosystems are frequently exposed to abiotic stress, which adversely affects their growth, resistance and survival. For silver fir (<i>Abies alba</i>), the physiological and biochemical responses to water and salt stress have not been extensively studied. Responses of one-year-old seedlings to a 30-day water stress (withholding irrigation) or salt stress (100, 200 and 300 mM NaCl) treatments were analysed by determining stress-induced changes in growth parameters and different biochemical markers: accumulation of ions, different osmolytes and malondialdehyde (MDA, an oxidative stress biomarker), in the seedlings, and activation of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems. Both salt and water stress caused growth inhibition. The results obtained indicated that the most relevant responses to drought are based on the accumulation of soluble carbohydrates as osmolytes/osmoprotectants. Responses to high salinity, on the other hand, include the active transport of Na<sup>+</sup>, Cl<sup>−</sup> and Ca<sup>2+</sup> to the needles, the maintenance of relatively high K<sup>+</sup>/Na<sup>+</sup> ratios and the accumulation of proline and soluble sugars for osmotic balance. Interestingly, relatively high Na<sup>+</sup> concentrations were measured in the needles of <i>A. alba</i> seedlings at low external salinity, suggesting that Na<sup>+</sup> can contribute to osmotic adjustment as a ‘cheap’ osmoticum, and its accumulation may represent a constitutive mechanism of defence against stress. These responses appear to be efficient enough to avoid the generation of high levels of oxidative stress, in agreement with the small increase in MDA contents and the relatively weak activation of the tested antioxidant systems. |
topic |
abiotic stress antioxidants drought ion homeostasis osmolytes salinity |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/4/395 |
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