Photosynthetica 2018, 56(4):1370-1377 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-018-0850-4

Salicylic acid-induced photosynthetic adaptability of Zea mays L. to polyethylene glycol-simulated water deficit is associated with nitric oxide signaling

R. X. Shao1,*, L. F. Xin1, J. M. Guo1, H. F. Zheng1, J. Mao1, X.P. Han1, L. Jia1, S. J. Jia1, C. G. Du1,2, R. Song1, Q. H. Yang1,*, R. W. Elmore3
1 Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops and State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
2 Department of Biology, Montclair State University, Montclair, USA
3 Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA

Salicylic acid (SA) and nitric oxide (NO) form a new group of plant growth substances that cooperatively interact to promote plant growth and productivity. Water deficit (WD) stress is a major limiting factor for photosynthesis, which in turn limits crop yield. However, the mechanism of SA and NO in stimulating photosynthesis has not yet been elucidated. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the SA- and NO-mediated photosynthetic adaptability of maize seedlings to WD in terms of photosynthetic parameters, activities and mRNA levels of CO2 assimilation enzymes. Our results showed that SA alleviated the WD-induced reduction of photosynthetic performance. The activities of Rubisco and Rubisco activase enzymes increased significantly due to SA pretreatment. Moreover, higher transcription rates of Rbc L, ZmRCAα and ZmRCAβ mRNA further confirmed the effects of SA on CO2 assimilation. WD or SA-induced decreases or increases of CO2 assimilation ability were further decreased after c-PTIO addition.

Additional key words: chlorophyll fluorescence transients; gene expression; nitric oxide scavenger; photosynthetic characteristics

Received: May 23, 2017; Accepted: February 14, 2018; Prepublished online: December 1, 2018; Published: November 1, 2018  Show citation

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Shao, R.X., Xin, L.F., Guo, J.M., Zheng, H.F., Mao, J., Han, X.P., ... Elmore, R.W. (2018). Salicylic acid-induced photosynthetic adaptability of Zea mays L. to polyethylene glycol-simulated water deficit is associated with nitric oxide signaling. Photosynthetica, 56(4), 1370-1377. doi: 10.1007/s11099-018-0850-4
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