title: Salt tolerance of barley induced by the root endophyte Piriformospora indica is associated with a strong increase in antioxidants.
abstract: The root endophytic basidiomycete Piriformospora indica has been shown to increase resistance against biotic stress and tolerance to abiotic stress in many plants. Biochemical mechanisms underlying P. indica-mediated salt tolerance were studied in barley (Hordeum vulgare) with special focus on antioxidants. Physiological markers for salt stress, such as metabolic activity, fatty acid composition, lipid peroxidation, ascorbate concentration and activities of catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, dehydroascorbate reductase, monodehydroascorbate reductase and glutathione reductase enzymes were assessed. Root colonization by P. indica increased plant growth and attenuated the NaCl-induced lipid peroxidation, metabolic heat efflux and fatty acid desaturation in leaves of the salt-sensitive barley cultivar Ingrid. The endophyte significantly elevated the amount of ascorbic acid and increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes in barley roots under salt stress conditions. Likewise, a sustained up-regulation of the antioxidative system was demonstrated in NaCl-treated roots of the salt-tolerant barley cultivar California Mariout, irrespective of plant colonization by P. indica. These findings suggest that antioxidants might play a role in both inherited and endophyte-mediated plant tolerance to salinity.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Phytopathology and Applied Zoology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Baltruschat
authors.affiliation: Plant Protection Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Herman Ottóút 15, H-1022, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: József
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fodor
authors.affiliation: Plant Protection Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Herman Ottóút 15, H-1022, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Borbála D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Harrach
authors.affiliation: The Franciszek Górski Institute of Plant Physiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Niezapominajek 21, 30-239 Cracow, Poland.
authors.forename: Elżbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Niemczyk
authors.affiliation: Plant Protection Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Herman Ottóút 15, H-1022, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Balázs
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Barna
authors.affiliation: Plant Protection Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Herman Ottóút 15, H-1022, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gullner
authors.affiliation: The Franciszek Górski Institute of Plant Physiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Niezapominajek 21, 30-239 Cracow, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Janeczko
authors.affiliation: Institute of Phytopathology and Applied Zoology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Karl-Heinz
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kogel
authors.affiliation: Institute of Phytopathology and Applied Zoology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schäfer
authors.affiliation: Plant Protection Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Herman Ottóút 15, H-1022, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Ildikó
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schwarczinger
authors.affiliation: Institute of Phytopathology and Applied Zoology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Alga
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zuccaro
authors.affiliation: The Franciszek Górski Institute of Plant Physiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Niezapominajek 21, 30-239 Cracow, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skoczowski
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D001487:Basidiomycota / Q000378:metabolism*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D001467:Hordeum / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000502:physiology; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000378:metabolism*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D055049:Salt Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005227:Fatty Acids; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D001205:Ascorbic Acid