title: Inhibition of ethylene synthesis reduces salt-tolerance in tomato wild relative species Solanum chilense.
abstract: Exposure to salinity induces a burst in ethylene synthesis in the wild tomato halophyte plant species Solanum chilense. In order to gain information on the role of ethylene in salt adaptation, plants of Solanum chilense (accession LA4107) and of cultivated glycophyte Solanum lycopersicum (cv. Ailsa Craig) were cultivated for 7days in nutrient solution containing 0 or 125mM NaCl in the presence or absence of the inhibitor of ethylene synthesis (aminovinylglycine (AVG) 2μM). Salt-induced ethylene synthesis in S. chilense occurred concomitantly with an increase in stomatal conductance, an efficient osmotic adjustment and the maintenance of carbon isotope discrimination value (Δ13C). In contrast, in S. lycopersicum, salt stress decreased stomatal conductance and Δ13C values while osmotic potential remained higher than in S. chilense. Inhibition of stress-induced ethylene synthesis by AVG decreased stomatal conductance and Δ13C in S. chilense and compromised osmotic adjustment. Solanum chilense behaved as an includer and accumulated high amounts of Na in the shoot but remained able to maintain K nutrition in the presence of NaCl. This species however did not stimulate the expression of genes coding for high-affinity K transport but genes coding for ethylene responsive factor ERF5 and JREF1 were constitutively more expressed in S. chilense than in S. lycopersicum. It is concluded that ethylene plays a key role in salt tolerance of S. chilense.
authors.affiliation: Groupe de Recherche en Physiologie végétale (GRPV), Earth and Life Institute - Agronomy (ELI-A), Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; Laboratoire d'Ecologie végétale, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Tunis El Manar, Tunisie.
authors.forename: Emna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gharbi
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA - La Cruz), La Cruz, Chile.
authors.forename: Juan-Pablo
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Ecologie végétale, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Tunis El Manar, Tunisie.
authors.forename: Hela
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Benahmed
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Océanologie, MARE Center, Université de Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lepoint
authors.affiliation: Groupe de Recherche en Physiologie végétale (GRPV), Earth and Life Institute - Agronomy (ELI-A), Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vanpee
authors.affiliation: Groupe de Recherche en Physiologie végétale (GRPV), Earth and Life Institute - Agronomy (ELI-A), Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
authors.forename: Muriel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quinet
authors.affiliation: Groupe de Recherche en Physiologie végétale (GRPV), Earth and Life Institute - Agronomy (ELI-A), Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. Electronic address: stanley.lutts@uclouvain.be.
authors.forename: Stanley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lutts
mesh_terms: D005030:Ethylenes / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D005998:Glycine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D055049:Salt Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects*; D055051:Salt-Tolerant Plants / Q000502:physiology; D032322:Solanum / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D005030:Ethylenes; C036216:ethylene; D005998:Glycine
keywords: Ethylene; Halophyte; Salinity; Solanum chilense; Stomatal conductance; Tomato