Abstract
The effects of exogenous sodium nitroprusside (SNP), as nitric oxide donor, and spermidine (Spd) on growth and photosynthetic characteristics of Bakraii seedlings (Citrus reticulata × Citrus limetta) were studied under NaCl stress. In citrus plants, SNP- and Spd-induced growth improvement was found to be associated with reduced electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide content, and leaf Na+ and Cl– concentration. However, we found increased leaf Ca2+, Mg2+, and K+ concentrations, relative water content, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, antioxidant enzyme activities, such as ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase, as well as higher photosynthetic rate, intercellular CO2 concentration, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate under saline regime. Foliar application of SNP and Spd alone mitigated the adverse effect of salinity, while the combined application proved to be even more effective.
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Abbreviations
- APX:
-
ascorbate peroxidase
- C a :
-
atmospheric CO2 concentration
- C i :
-
intercellular CO2 concentration
- CAT:
-
catalase
- Chl:
-
chlorophyll
- E :
-
transpiration rate
- EL:
-
electrolyte leakage
- F0 :
-
minimal fluorescence yield of the dark-adapted state
- Fm :
-
maximal fluorescence yield of the dark-adapted state
- Fv :
-
variable fluorescence
- Fv/Fm :
-
maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII
- gs:
-
stomatal conductance
- LN:
-
number of leaves per plant
- MDA:
-
malondialdehyde
- NPQ:
-
nonphotochemical quenching
- PAs:
-
polyamines
- Put:
-
putrescine
- POD:
-
peroxidase
- P N :
-
net photosynthetic rate
- qP:
-
photochemical quenching
- ROS:
-
reactive oxygen species
- RWC:
-
relative water content
- SL:
-
length of shoot
- SNP:
-
sodium nitroprusside
- SOD:
-
superoxide dismutase
- S:
-
salinity stress
- Spd:
-
spermidine
- Spm:
-
spermine
- TPDM:
-
total plant dry mass
- TPFM:
-
total plant fresh mass
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Acknowledgements: Here we would like to thank to the Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, University of Urmia for financial support of the research.
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Khoshbakht, D., Asghari, M.R. & Haghighi, M. Effects of foliar applications of nitric oxide and spermidine on chlorophyll fluorescence, photosynthesis and antioxidant enzyme activities of citrus seedlings under salinity stress. Photosynthetica 56, 1313–1325 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-018-0839-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-018-0839-z