title: Response of nitrogen fixation in relation to nodule carbohydrate metabolism in Medicago ciliaris lines subjected to salt stress.
abstract: The effect of salt stress on nitrogen fixation, in relation to sucrose transport towards nodules and other sink organs and the potential of sucrose breakdown by nodules, was investigated in two lines of Medicago ciliaris. Under salt stress conditions, the two lines showed a decrease of total biomass production, but TNC 1.8 was less affected by salt than TNC 11.9. The chlorophyll content was not changed in TNC 1.8, in contrast to TNC 11.9. Shoot, root, and nodule biomass were also affected in the two lines, but TNC 1.8 exhibited the higher potentialities of biomass production of these organs. Nitrogen fixation also decreased in the two lines, and was more sensitive to salt than growth parameters. TNC 1.8 consistently exhibited the higher values of nitrogen fixation. Unlike nodules, leaves of both lines were well supplied in nutrients with some exceptions. Specifically, the calcium content decreased in the sensitive line leaves, and the nodule magnesium content was not changed in either line. The tolerant line accumulated more sodium in its leaves. The two lines did not show any differences in the nodule sodium content. Sucrose allocation towards nodules was affected by salt in the two lines, but this constraint did not seem to affect the repartition of sucrose between sink organs. Salt stress induced perturbations in nodule sucrolytic activities in the two lines. It inhibited sucrose synthase, but the inhibition was more marked in TNC 11.9; alkaline/neutral activity was not altered in TNC 1.8, whereas it decreased more than half in TNC 11.9. Thus, the relative tolerance of TNC 1.8 to salt stress could be attributed to a better use of these photoassimilates by nodules and a better supply of bacteroids in malate. The hypothesis of a competition for sucrose between nodules and other sink organs under salt stress could not be verified.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Adaptation des Plantes aux Stress Abiotiques, CBBC, Hammam-Lif, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Imène
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ben Salah
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albacete
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martínez Andújar
authors.forename: Rabiaa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haouala
authors.forename: Nehla
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Labidi
authors.forename: Fethia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zribi
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pérez-Alfocea
authors.forename: Chedly
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abdelly
mesh_terms: D001692:Biological Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects*; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism; D007477:Ions / Q000378:metabolism; D008293:Malates / Q000378:metabolism; D029902:Medicago / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D009586:Nitrogen Fixation / Q000187:drug effects*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D053204:Root Nodules, Plant / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects*; D013395:Sucrose / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007477:Ions; D008293:Malates; D002734:Chlorophyll; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D013395:Sucrose; C030298:malic acid