Responses of Antioxidant Enzymes to Chilling Stress in Tobacco Seedlings

Chilling is one of the major abiotic stresses limiting yield and quality of many important crops. For better understanding of chilling stress responses in tobacco （Nicotiana tabacum）, growth rate and antioxidant enzymes of seedlings in 2 tobacco cultivars, viz., MSk326 （chilling sensitive variety） and Honghuadajinyuan （HHDJY, chilling tolerant variety） at chilling temperature （5℃） were studied. The results showed that the relative growth rate in chilling period to that in recovery period was significantly higher in roots than that in shoots for both cultivars, suggesting that shoots growth was more easily affected by chilling stress. Chilling stress increased peroxidase （POD） activity and reduced superoxide dismutase （SOD） activity in shoots of HHDJY, and catalase （CAT） activity was little affected. In the roots of HHDJY, chilling stress increased SOD and CAT activities, and had little effect on POD activity. For MSk326, chilling treatment increased SOD activity in shoots and declined CAT activity in roots. MDA concentration in both varieties was increased under the chilling stress, while it was decreased after seedlings were recovered growth for 4 d at normal temperature （25℃）. It showed that tobacco seedlings might have the capacity of recovering from chilling injury for a short term, The relationship between the growth rate and antioxidant enzyme activity was analyzed by stepwise regression. It was found that there was a close relationship between relative growth rate of tobacco seedlings and CAT activity under chilling stress condition and regression equations containing CAT could be used in predicting seedling growth rate of tobacco under chilling stress condition.     

Genotypic Difference in the Responses of Seedling Growth and Cd Toxicity in Rice （Oryza sativa L.）

The experiment was carried out to study the genotypic difference in the responses of seed germination, growth and physiological characters of rice seedlings to Cd toxicity. The result showed that the germination was slightly stimulated under low Cd concentration （0.01-1.5 mM Cd）, while severely depressed under higher Cd concentration （2.0 mM）. Rice seedlings exposed to 0.01 mM Cd showed slight increases in plant height, root volume, biomass and chlorophyll concentration. These parameters were significantly reduced when Cd level in the medium was increased to 0.5 mM, and meanwhile corresponding increase in superoxide dismutase （SOD） and peroxidase （POD） activities, and MDA （malondialdehyde） content was observed. However, SOD and POD activities declined when plants were exposed to 1 mM Cd when compared with those under 0.5 mM Cd. Cadmium addition lowered Fe, Cu and Mn concentrations in roots and shoots. There was significant genotypic difference in the response of these parameters to Cd stress. Under Cd stress, Xiushui 110 had the least inhibition of growth and increase in MDA content, higher shoot Cd concentration, and greatest increase in POD and SOD activities, indicating its higher tolerance to Cd toxicity, while Bing 9914 had the greatest reduction of growth, and Zn, Cu, Fe, and Mn contents, but greatest increase in MDA content, and least increase in activities of antioxidative enzymes, indicating its sensitivity to Cd toxicity.     

Antioxidant Defense System in Wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） Seedlings under Heat Stress and Revival Conditions

The present investigation was carried out to investigate the effect of heat stress and revival on some antioxidative enzymes and metabolites in leaves of the wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） seedlings of heat susceptible （cv. WH 147 and HS 277） and heat tolerant （cv. WH 1021 and HW 2045） cultivars. Seven days old seedlings grown at 25 ℃ were exposed to 40 ℃ for 6 h and these seedlings were again brought to 25 ℃. The observations were recorded in the leaves of control, stressed and revived seedlings on 2nd and 4th day of revival. For the selection ofthermo-tolerant cultivars, screening of the thirty-six cultivars was done based on wilting of primary leaf and values of chlorophyll fluorescence. The MDA （malondialdehyde） and H2O2 concentration in leaves of wheat seedlings increased at the high temperature. There was enhancement in the activities of antioxidative enzymes, viz. CAT （catalase）, POX （peroxidase）, GR （glutathione reductase） and APX （ascorbate peroxidase） in leaves of the tolerant and susceptible cultivars under heat stress, however, higher percent increase was observed in tolerant cultivars. Heat stress increased the SOD （superoxide dismutase） activity in tolerant cultivars but activity declined in susceptible cultivars. On revival, the activities of the CAT, POX and GR declined in comparison to stressed seedlings but remained higher as compared to control. Ascorbate peroxidase activity remained higher on 2nd day and 4th day of revival in all the cultivars.     

Cu~(2+)、Cd~(2+)胁迫对番茄幼苗生长及过氧化物酶活性的影响(英文)

The growth situation and peroxidase (POD) of seedlings of two tomato cultivars were investigated under the stress of different concentrations of Cu2+ and Cd2+. The toxicity differences of Cu2+ and Cd2+ to tomato seedlings and the corresponding differences between two tomato cultivars were observed through the stress trial with the above two heavy metal ions. The results showed that low concentration of Cu2+ and Cd2+ could promote the growth and could enhance the POD activity of tomato seedlings,while high concentration Cu2+ and Cd2+ could inhibit seedling growth and POD activity of tomato seedlings. Cd2+ functioned more obviously than that of Cu2+,two tomato cultivars also presented difference in response to heavy metal stress.     

Grafting Enhances Copper Tolerance of Cucumber Through Regulating Nutrient Uptake and Antioxidative System

An experiment was carried out to determine plant growth, mineral uptake, lipid peroxidation, antioxidative enzymes, and antioxidant of cucumber plants （Cucumis sativus L. cv. Xintaimici） under copper stress, either ungrafted or grafted onto the rootstock （Cucurbitaficifolia）. Excess Cu inhibited growth, photosynthesis, and pigment synthesis of grafted and ungrafted cucumber seedlings and significantly increased accumulation of Cu in roots besides reducing mineral uptake. Cu concentration in roots of grafted cucumber plants was significantly higher than that of ungrafted plants and obviously lower in leaves. The accumulation of reactive oxygen species （ROS） significantly increased in cucumber leaves under Cu stress and resulted in lipid peroxidation, and the levels of ROS and lipid peroxidation were greatly decreased by grafting. Activities of protective enzymes （superoxide dismutase, SOD; peroxidase, POD; catalase, CAT; ascorbate peroxidase, APX; dehydroascorbate reductase, DHAR; glutathione reductase, GR） and the contents of ascorbate and glutathione in leaves of grafted plants were significantly higher than those of ungrafted plants under Cu stress. Better performance of grafted cucumber plants were attributed to the higher ability of Cu accumulation in their roots, better nutrient status, and the effective scavenging system of ROS.     

接种摩西球囊霉对盐胁迫条件下盐地碱蓬叶片SOD和CAT活性的影响(英文)

[Objective] Under salt stress condition,effects of inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi Glomus mosseae on SOD and CAT activity in Suaeda salsa seedlings under salt stress were studied.[Method]There were 2 NaCl levels,namely 0 and 400 mmol/L and each NaCl contained 2 treatments,one is inoculated by Glomus mosseae and the other is control.The growths of Suaeda salsa,SOD and CAT activities as well as MDA content in leaves was determined.[Result]Under salt stress condition,Glomus mosseae could increase the growths of Suaeda salsa,SOD and CAT activities in leaves and decreased MDA content in leaves.[Conclusion]It preliminarily demonstrated that Arbuscular Mycorrhizal(AM)Fungi could increase salt resistance of Suaeda salsa by increasing the activities of SOD and CAT as well as alleviating membrane injury.     

Hg2+与Cr(Ⅵ)对富营养化水体中藻类生长的毒性效应

[Objective]The toxicity effect of Hg2 and Cr(Ⅵ)on alga growth in eutrophic water was studied to provide reference for biomonitoring and bioremediation of eutrophic water.[Method]The mother liquid of alga,which was separated from the eutrophic water,were put into the solutions of Hg2 and Cr(Ⅵ)with different concentrations and their mixture solution,respectively.And the toxicity effect of Hg2 and Cr(Ⅵ)on the growth and propagation of alga in eutrophic water was observed.[Result]The alga in eutrophic water performed rather sensitive to Cr(Ⅵ)and when its concentration Was over 1 ms/L,threre was obvious effect on alga growth.The alga Was not very sensitive to Hg2 when its concentration was lower, but its toxicity became stronger and stronger when its concentration increased to some extent and the toxicity effect of Cr(Ⅵ)on alga growth was inst on the centrary. When the ion concentration was lower than 10 ms/L,the toxicity of Hg2 on alga was lower than that of Cr(Ⅵ).When the concentration was over 10 ms/L,the toxieity of Hg2 exceeded that of Cr(Ⅵ).The toxicity of ion mixture solution of Hg2 and Cr(Ⅵ)had synergism inhibition on alga,which could be performed only when the concentration was over4 mg/L.[Conclusion]The toxicity of heavy metal on alga not only related to the alga cell,but also related to the concentration of heavy metal ion.     

Grafting Raises the Cu Tolerance of Cucumber Through Protecting Roots Against Oxidative Stress Induced by Cu Stress

A greenhouse experiment was carried out to determine plant growth,reactive oxygen species(ROS) metabolism in roots and functions of plasma membrane(PM) and tonoplast in cucumber seedlings(Cucumis sativus L.cv.Xintaimici) treated with 40 μmol L-1 CuSO 4.5H2O,which were either ungrafted or grafted onto the rootstock(Cucurbita ficifolia).Cu treatment inhibited growth,induced significant accumulation of H2O2 and led to serious lipid peroxidation in cucumber roots,and the ROS-scavenging enzymes activities in grafted seedlings roots were significantly higher than that of ungrafted plants,thus less accumulation in grafted cucumber roots induced by Cu.As a result,lipid peroxidation in roots decreased.Furthermore,the activities of H+-ATPase,H+-PPase and Ca2+-ATPase in PM and/or tonoplast in grafted cucumber seedlings under Cu stress were obviously higher than that in ungrafted plants,resulting into higher ability in grafted plants to expulse the excess H+,promote the cytoplasm alkalinization,regulate the intracellular Ca2+ concentration and brought the cytoplasma concentration of free Ca2+ to extremely low level under Cu stress.     

Difference of Low Temperature and Low Irradiance-Resistance between Figleaf Gourd and Cucumber Seedlings Related to Mineral Elements Uptake

We have reported that the roots of figleaf gourd（Cucurbita ficifolia,as rootstock） could improve the resistance of cucumber seedlings（Cucumis sativus L.cv.Jinyan 4,as scion） to 6 h stress at low temperature and low irradiance [1].In this experiment,the relationship between the mineral elements uptake and photosynthetic activity of photosystems in figleaf gourd and cucumber seedlings were to be studied during lowtemperature（8 C） stress under lowirradiance（100 μmol m-2 s-1 PFD） for 5 days.Compared with control seedlings,the maximal photochemical efficiency of PS2（Fv/Fm） and the oxidizable P700（P700＋） of both figleaf gourd and cucumber seedlings decreased,and both Fv/Fm and P700＋ were lower in cucumber leaves than in figleaf gourd seedlings at the end of the stress.Superoxide dismutase（SOD） activity was higher in both leaves and roots of figleaf gourd than in leaves and roots of cucumber at both room temperature and low temperature.However,the product rate of O 2 was lower in figleaf gourd leaves than in cucumber leaves.Upon exposure to the stress,the malondialdehyde（MDA） content increased markedly in leaves and roots of figleaf gourd and cucumber seedlings,and it grewfaster in cucumber seedlings than that in figleaf gourd seedlings.Under adaptive conditions,some mineral elements（Such as Cu,Zn,Mn and Mg） have different contents in leaves and roots between figleaf gourd seedlings and cucumber seedlings.However,at the end of the stress these elements were accumulated apparently in both leaves and roots of figleaf gourd accompanied by no obvious change in cucumber seedlings.     

The Effects of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Reactive Oxyradical Scavenging System of Tomato Under Salt Tolerance

The effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi （AMF）, Glomus mosseae, on oxygen radical scavenging system of tomato under salt stress were studied in potted culture experiments. The response of tomato （Lycopersieon eseulentum L.） cultivar Zhongza 9 seedlings with AMF inoculation and control to salt stress （0, 0.5 and 1.0% NaCl solution, respectively） was investigated. The results showed that the salt stress significantly reduced the dry matter content of roots, stems and leaves, and also the leaf area as compared with the control treatment. However, arbuscular mycorrhizal-inoculated （AM） significantly improved the dry matter and the leaf area in the salt-stressed plants. The effect of AMF on dry matter was more pronounced in aerial bromass than in root biomass which might be due to AM colonization. The activities of SOD, POD, ASA-POD, and CAT in leaves and roots of mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal treatment of tomato plants were increased and had different rules under different NaCl concentrations （solution of 0, 0.5 and 1% NaCl）, but all enzymes had a rise in the beginning of treatment under salt stress conditions. The AMF did not change the rule of tomato itself under salt stress, but AMF increased these enzyme activities in different levels. The AMF treatment significantly increased SOD, POD and ASA-POD activities in leaves and roots, whereas it had little effects on CAT in root. O2- production rate and MDA content in leaves increased continuously, which showed a positive line correlation with salt stress concentration. O2- production rate and MDA content in tomato plants significantly decreased by AM treatment compared with nonmycorrhizal treatment. In conclusion, AM could alleviate the growth limitations imposed by saline conditions, and thereby play a very important role in promoting plant growth under salt stress in tomato.     

Effects of Water Stress on the Protective Enzyme Activities and Lipid Peroxidation in Roots and Leaves of Summer Maize

A systematic study was conducted to determine the effects of water stress on the activities of protective enzymes and lipid peroxidation in maize. The results showed that, under water stress, the activities of superoxide dismutase （SOD）, catalase （CAT）, and peroxidase （POD） in leaves and roots increased sharply at prophase and metaphase growth stages, such as, male tetrad stage, but then declined towards the physiological maturity. The protective enzyme activities in roots were lower than those in leaves. The content of malondialdehyde （MDA） increased according to the severity of water stress. The content of MDA in roots was lower than that in leaves. The activities of protective enzymes and lipid peroxidation in roots were positively related to that in leaves with most of the correlation coefficients being significant. The content of soluble proteins in roots and leaves decreased with increasing drought stress. The ear characteristics deteriorated and the economic yields of maize decreased significantly under water stress. The main factors that caused reduction of yields were the decrease in the number of ear kernels and 100-kernel weight.     

Changes of Nitrate Reductase Activity in Cucumber Seedlings in Response to Nitrate Stress

In China, nitrogen fertilizer application rates in intensive agricultural systems have increased dramatically in recent years, especially in protected vegetable production systems. This excessive use of nitrogen fertilizer has resulted in soil secondary salinization, which has become a significant environmental stress for crops such as cucumber, in the protected farmland of China. So it is necessary to illuminate how crops respond to nitrate stress. The objective of this work was to examine the effects of increased nitrate concentration [14 （CK） and 140 mmol L^-1 （T）] on NO3- concentration, and in vitro and in vivo nitrate reductase activities in the roots and leaves of cucumber （Cucumis sativus L. cv. Xintaimici） seedlings with hydroponic culture. The results showed that the NO3- concentration in the roots and leaves of T seedlings significantly increased over treatment course, and at 12 d increased by 1.08 and 1.72 times with respect to CK seedlings, respectively; in vitro nitrate reductase activity of T was increased dramatically to 1.74 times of CK in the roots at 2 d and 1.56 times of CK in the leaves at 6 d, and then decreased. At 12 d, in vitro activity was still 24.3% higher in the roots and only 9.9% lower in the leaves than CK. Compared with in vitro nitrate reductase activity, in vivo activity responded differently to the increase of treatment time. At the beginning, in vivo nitrate reductase activity in the roots and leaves of T had no significant difference from CK, whereas with the increase of treatment duration, the activity decreased. At 12 d, in vivo activity in the roots and leaves of T lowered by 20.1 and 52.8% with respect to CK, respectively. This evidence suggests that posttranslational activation of nitrate reductase in cucumber seedlings may be seriously inhibited by nitrate stress.     

Drought-Induced Changes in Xylem Sap pH, ABA and Stomatal Conductance

Upstream signals potentially regulating evaporation and stomatal conductance were investigated using 6-8-1ear-old maize (Zea may L.) seedlings which were grown in a greenhouse. Pressure chamber was used to measure leaf water potential and to collect xylem sap. The pH of xylem sap in stems was higher than that in root, and the abscisic acid (ABA) concentration in stems was the highest in well-watered seedlings. The ABA concentration and pH of xylem sap in roots, stems and leaves increased, and the ABA concentration in leaves reached the maximum during drought stress. The treatment of roots with exogenous ABA solution (100 umol L^-1) increased xylem sap ABA concentration in all organs measured, and induced stomatal closure, but did not change ABA distribution among organs of maize seedlings. The combined effects of external pH buffer on pH, ABA of xylem sap and stomatal behavior indicated that pH, as a root-source signal to leaves under drought stress, regulated stomatal closure through accumulating ABA in leaves or guard cells.     

Effects of sodium benzoate on growth and physiological characteristics of wheat seedlings under compound heavy metal stress

In this study, we investigated the effect of exogenous sodium benzoate on wheat seedlings(Yangmai 16) grown under heavy metal stress. The results showed that 2.4 mmol kg~(–1) of heavy metals significantly inhibited growth and delayed emergence of wheat seedlings. Under compound heavy metal stress, application of 2–4 g L~(–1) sodium benzoate significantly increased(P0.01) chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters F_v/F_m and F_v/F_o of wheat, compared to the control(water treatment). Further analysis showed that application of 2–4 g L~(–1) sodium benzoate alleviated osmotic stress by promoting the accumulation of osmolytes such as soluble proteins and free proline, increased the activity of superoxide dismutase(SOD) and reduced malondialdehyde content(MDA). In contrast, higher concentrations of sodium benzoate solution(6 g L~(–1)) inhibited the growth of wheat seedlings and even caused damage to seedlings. Correlation analysis showed that when the sodium benzoate concentration was in the range of 1.97–3.12 g L~(–1)(2016) and 1.58–3.27 g L~(–1)(2017), values of chlorophyll and its components, root activity, SOD activity, soluble protein, and free proline content were the highest. When the sodium benzoate concentration was raised to 2.59 g L~(–1)(2016) or 3.02 g L~(–1)(2017), MDA content was the lowest. Ultimately, exogenous sodium benzoate(2–4 g L~(–1)) facilitates root development and improves the root activity of wheat seedlings grown under compound heavy metals stress, thereby effectively alleviating the damage of compound heavy metal stress in wheat seedlings.     

Higher Chilling-Tolerance of Grafted-Cucumber Seedling Leaves upon Exposure to Chilling Stress

The roots of figleaf gourd （Cucurbita ficifolia, as rootstock） could improve the resistance of cucumber plants （Cucumis sativus L. cv. Jinyan 4, as scion） to low temperature. In this experiment, the root activity and photosynthetic activity of photosystems in the own-rooted and grafted-cucumber plants were studied at chilling temperature （4℃） under low irradiance （100 μmol m^2 s^-1 PFD）. Compared with dark adaptation seedlings, the chlorophyll a fluorescence transient curve and the oxidizable P700 （P700＋） of both the own-rooted and grafted seedlings decreased, and PS2 and PS1 of the own-rooted seedling leaves were more inhibited than that of grafted ones at the end of chilling stress. The reduced triphenyltetrazolium chloride （TTC）, which was used to reflect the root activity, kept stable in grafted seedling roots at the end of chilling stress, while it decreased noticeably in the own-rooted seedling roots. These results implied that the root system activity of the grafted seedling roots was higher than that of the own-rooted ones. Superoxide dismutase （SOD） activity was higher in both the grafted seedling roots and leaves than that in own-rooted seedlings at both room temperature and chilling temperature. Upon exposure to chilling stress, the malondialdehyde （MDA） content, which reflects the degree of lipid peroxidation, increased markedly in the own-rooted seedling roots and leaves and kept stable in the grafted-cucumber seedlings.     

Alleviation of Al Toxicity in Barley by Addition of Calcium

The potential mechanism by which Ca alleviates Al toxicity was investigated in barley seedlings. It was found that 100 Al-alone treatment inhibited barley plant growth and thereby reduced shoot height and root length, and dry weights of root, shoot and leaf; promoted Al accumulation but inhibited Ca absorption in plant tissues; and induced an increase in the activities of superoxide dismutase （SOD）, catalase （CAT）, and peroxidase （POD） and in the level of lipid peroxidation （MDA content） in leaves. Except for the increase in Ca concentration in plant tissues, treatment with 0.5 mM Ca in the absence of Al had less effect on the above-mentioned parameters, compared with the control. Addition of Ca efficiently reduced Al toxicity, which is reflected by the promotion of plant growth, reduction in Al concentration and MDA content, increase in Ca concentration and in SOD, POD, and CAT activities compared with the Al-alone-treatment; with increase in Ca level （3.0 raM）, the ameliorative effect became more dominant. This indicated that the alleviation of aluminum toxicity in barley seedlings with Ca supplementation could be associated with less absorption of Al and the enhancement of the protective ability of the cell because of increased activity of the antioxidative enzyme.     

Changes of Antioxidative Enzymes and Lipid Peroxidation in Leaves and Roots of Waterlogging-Tolerant and Waterlogging-Sensitive Maize Genotypes at Seedling Stage

To better understand the physiological and biochemical mechanisms of waterlogging tolerance, waterlogging effects on lipid peroxidation and the activity of antioxidative enzymes were investigated in leaves and roots of two maize genotypes, HZ32 （waterlogging-tolerant） and K12 （waterlogging-sensitive）. Potted maize plants were waterlogged at the second leaf stage under glasshouse conditions. Leaves and roots were harvested 1 d before and 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 d after the start of waterlogging treatment. Through comparing the activities of superoxide dismutase （SOD）, ascorbate peroxidase （APX）, glutathione reductase （GR）, catalase （CAT） and guaiacol peroxidase （POD） between waterlogging-tolerant and waterloggingsensitive genotype, we deduced that CAT was the most important H2O2 scavenging enzyme in leaves, while APX seemed to play a key role in roots. POD, APX, GR and CAT activities in conjunction with SOD seem to play an essential protective role in the O2^- and H2O2 scavenging process. Lipid peroxidation was enhanced significantly only in K12 （P 〈 0.001） and there was no difference （P 〉 0.05） in HZ32 up to 6 d after waterlogging stress. These results indicated that oxidative stress may play an important role in waterlogging-stressed maize plants and that the greater protection of HZ32 leaves and roots from waterlogging-induced oxidative damage results, at least in part, through the maintenance of increased antioxidant enzyme activity.     

外源NO对高温强光胁迫下小麦叶片膜脂过氧化和叶绿素荧光的影响(英文)

[Objective] The study aimed to prove effects of NO on oxidative damage and photosynthetic apparatus at filling stage of wheat leaves under high temperature and irradiance stress.[Method] Yunong 949 was taken as experimental material to study the effects of sodium nitropprusside (SNP,an exogenous nitric oxide donor) at 0.1 mmol/L on protective enzyme activities, oxidative damage and fluorescence.[Result] The treatment with SNP (at 0.1 mmol/L) significantly increased the activity of SOD and APX, proline content, decreased the MDA content and relative electrical conductivity, Kept the higher Fv/Fm and lower Fo.[Conclusion] The adaptability of wheat with SNP treatment at 0.1 mmol/L was improved under high temperature and irradiance stress.     

The Physiological and Molecular Responses of Arabidopsis thaliana to the Stress of Oxalic Acid

Many fungal phytopathogens can secrete oxalic acid （OA）, which is the crucial pathogenic determinant and plays important roles in pathogenicity and virulence of pathogen during infection process. However, how plants respond to OA stress still needs further characterization. In this study, we observed the physiological and molecular responses of Arabidopsis thaliana to OA stress. The leaves of 6-wk-old A. thaliana were sprayed with OA and distilled water respectively, and 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 h later, the leaves were collected and the contents of MDA, H2O2, and GSH, and the activities of CAT, SOD, and POD were determined and the expressions of PR1 and PDF1.2 were also studied. Under the stress of 30 mmol L-1 OA, SOD activity was first enhanced to reduce the accumulation of O2.-. But immediately, POD, CAT, and GSH all decreased extremely resulting in the accumulation of H2O2, and the MDA content increased 24 h later. GSH activity was enhanced significantly at 24 h after OA used. However, H2O2 wasn＇t eliminated at the same time, suggesting that the activity inhibitions of POD and CAT might be the reasons that caused Arabidopsis cells＇ impairment under OA stress. RT-PCR results indicated that PDF1.2, a marker gene of the JA/ET signaling was significantly induced; PR1, an indicator gene in SA signaling, was slighlty induced from 8 to 12 h after OA stress. In conclusion, Arabidopsis may recruit metabolism of reactive oxygen, both JA/ET and SA signaling pathways to respond to OA stress. These results will facilitate our further understanding the mechanisms of plant response to OA and OA-dependent fungal infection.     

Reactive oxygen species are involved in cell death in wheat roots against powdery mildew

Inoculation of wheat(Triticum aestivum L.) leaves with wheat powdery mildew fungus(Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici) induces the cell death in adventitious roots. Reactive oxygen species(ROS) play a key role in respond to biotic stress in plants. To study the involvement of ROS and the degree of cell death in the wheat roots following inoculation, ROS levels and microstructure of root cells were analyzed in two wheat cultivars that are susceptible(Huamai 8) and resistant(Shenmai 8) to powdery mildew fungus. At 18 d after powdery mildew fungus inoculation, only Huamai 8 displayed the leaf lesions, while root cell death occurred in both varieties. Huamai 8 had a high level of ROS accumulation, which is associated with increased root cell degradation, while in Shenmai 8, there was little ROS accumulation correlating with slight root cell degradation. The molecular study about the expression levels of ROS scavenging genes(MnSOD and CAT) in wheat roots showed that these genes expression decreased after the leaves of wheat was inoculated. The difference between Huamai 8 and Shenmai 8 on subcellular localization of H2 O2 and O2–· was corresponded with the different down-regulation of the genes encoding for superoxide dismutase and catalase in two wheat cultivars. These results suggested that ROS were involved in the process by which powdery mildew fungus induced cell death in wheat roots.