title: Effects of salinity on the growth, physiology and relevant gene expression of an annual halophyte grown from heteromorphic seeds.
abstract: Seed heteromorphism provides plants with alternative strategies for survival in unfavourable environments. However, the response of descendants from heteromorphic seeds to stress has not been well documented. Suaeda aralocaspica is a typical annual halophyte, which produces heteromorphic seeds with disparate forms and different germination characteristics. To gain an understanding of the salt tolerance of descendants and the impact of seed heteromorphism on progeny of this species, we performed a series of experiments to investigate the plant growth and physiological parameters (e.g. osmolytes, oxidative/antioxidative agents and enzymes), as well as expression patterns of corresponding genes. Results showed that osmolytes (proline and glycinebetaine) were significantly increased and that excess reactive oxygen species ([Formula: see text] H2O2) produced under high salinity were scavenged by increased levels of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase) and corresponding antioxidants (ascorbic acid and glutathione). Moreover, enhancement of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity at high salt intensity had a positive effect on photosynthesis. The descendants from heteromorphic seeds presented no significant difference in performance with or without salinity. In conclusion, we found that high salinity induced the same active physiological responses in plants from heteromorphic seeds of S. aralocaspica, there was no carry-over of seed heteromorphism to plants: all the descendants required salinity for optimal growth and adaptation to their natural habitat.
authors.affiliation: Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China.
authors.forename: Xiu Yun
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China.
authors.forename: Jia Jia
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.affiliation: Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China lanhaiyan@xju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hai Yan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lan
keywords: Antioxidative system; Suaeda aralocaspica; descendants from dimorphic seeds; gene expression; physiological response; salinity tolerance