PHYSIOLOGICAL ROLES OF RHIZOMES IN RESPONSE TO SHORT-TERM SALINITY IN LEYMUS CHINENSIS

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2006.0121

Abstract

Abstract:

Background and Aims Rhizomes in clonal plants play a key role in storage and transport of nutrients as well as production of tillers. However, physiological functions of rhizomes in response to abiotic stress are poorly known. We investigated physiological responses of Leymus chinensis to salinity.

Methods We measured the following physiological parameters after 24 h exposure of roots and rhizomes separately and exposure of roots and rhizomes together to 200 mmol·L^-1 NaCl: water and proline content in leaves, K⁺ and Na⁺ content in leaves, roots and rhizomes, and osmolality, net photosynthesis rate and transpiration rate in leaves.

Key Results Net photosynthesis rate and transpiration rate of leaves were significantly (p<0.05) reduced when roots and rhizomes individually and roots and rhizomes together were exposed to NaCl. The same treatments led to increases in osmolality and proline contents in leaves. There was a greater reduction in net photosynthesis rate and transpiration rate of leaves when roots and rhizomes were treated together with NaCl than treated separately. However, when roots and rhizomes were treated with NaCl separately, no significant differences in leaf water content, proline content, net photosynthesis rate and transpiration rate were observed, suggesting that the roots have a similar role to the rhizomes in response to salinity stress inL. chinensis. When roots and rhizomes were treated with NaCl either together or separately, the Na⁺ contents in roots, rhizomes and leaves were higher than those of controls, by contrast, the K⁺ contents were lower than those of controls.

Conclusions Rhizomes of L. chinensis are important in sensing and responding to salinity and have a similar function to that of roots in uptake and translocation of Na⁺ under salinity stress. Because rhizomes have smaller biomass and surface area than root systems, we speculate that rhizomes of L. chinensis may have greater capacity than roots for uptake and translocation of Na⁺ ions under salinity stress.

Key words: Leymus chinensis, Rhizomes, Roots, Na⁺ uptake, Salinity stress

WANG Yu-Meng, REN Li-Fei, TIAN Qiu-Ying, LIU Hong-Sheng, LI Ling-Hao, ZHANG Wen-Hao. PHYSIOLOGICAL ROLES OF RHIZOMES IN RESPONSE TO SHORT-TERM SALINITY IN LEYMUS CHINENSIS[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2006, 30(6): 954-959.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2006.0121

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2006/V30/I6/954

Figures/Tables 6

Fig.1 Schematic diagram showing the distributions of root and rhizome of Leymus chinensis in the growth chamber

Table 1 Effects of NaCl on shoot biomass and leaf water content of Leymus chinensis

处理 Treatments	地上部生物 Shoot biomass (g)		叶片含水量(%) Leaf water content
处理 Treatments	鲜重FW	干重DW	叶片含水量(%) Leaf water content
对照 Control	0.29±0.09^a	0.08±0.02^a	72±0.03^a
胁迫根茎 Treating rhizome	0.28±0.14^a	0.09±0.02^a	69±0.05^a
胁迫根 Treating root	0.29±0.05^a	0.10±0.01^a	67±0.04^a
同时胁迫根和根茎 Treating root and rhizome	0.22±0.03^a	0.10±0.03^a	54±0.03^b

Fig.2 Changes in leaf proline content in response to treatments of roots, rhizomes and roots and rhizomes together of Leymus chinensis Vertical bars represent mean±SD (n=3). The different letters represent significant differently among treatments (p<0.05)

Fig.3 Effect of treatments of roots, rhizomes and roots and rhizomes together with NaCl on leaf osmolality of Leymus chinensis Note see Fig.2

Fig.4 Effects of treatments of roots, rhizomes and roots and rhizomes together with NaCl on leaf net photosynthesis rate, transpiration rate and stomatal conductance of Leymus chinensis Note see Fig.2

Fig.5 Effects of treatments of roots, rhizomes and roots and rhizomes together with NaCl on K+(A, B, C) and Na+(D, E, F) contents in leaves, roots and rhizomes of Leymus chinensis

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