Effects of non-structural carbohydrate and nitrogen allocation on the ability of Populus deltoides and P. cathayana to resist soil salinity stress

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2021.0240

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims The increasing level of soil salinization has been one of the most important factors to limit the development of forestry. The fast-growing Populusspp. are widely used for tree plantations and afforestation around the world and play crucial role in economic and ecological functions. Linking carbon and nitrogen metabolism with the resistance to soil salinity stress, will help to well develop the Populus plantations in salinization area.

Methods The present study used P. deltoidesand P. cathayana for materials, while two salt (NaCl) concentrations and two defoliation treatments were applied. The carbon supply ability and allocation, nitrogen metabolism and allocation of the two poplar species were mainly investigated in different treatments.

Important findings We found that the P. deltoides had higher total biomass and photosynthetic rate than P. cathayana under salinity stress. The chlorophyll concentration and the PSII maximum photochemical efficiency of P. deltoides were significantly higher than those of P. cathayana especially under defoliation with salinity stress, which demonstrated stronger damage on P. cathayana. The defoliation treatment aggravated the damage of NaCl on P. cathayana. The Na⁺ concentration in leaf and stem of P. deltoides was significantly lower than that of P. cathayana under salinity stress, demonstrating that the P. deltoides strongly restricted Na⁺ up-transport from root. Stem and root of P. deltoides had higher concentrations of starch, soluble sugars and sucrose than P. cathayana under salinity stress. The higher adenosine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase activity facilitated the production of starch in P. deltoides than in P. cathayana. The defoliation greatly reduced the resistant ability of P. cathayana to salinity because of lower supply of non-structural carbohydrate to osmoregulation function. The allocation of nitrogen to sodium dodecyl sulfate-soluble protein of P. cathayana was significantly reduced by increasing salt, whereas NH₄⁺ concentration, glutamate dehydrogenase activity and proline concentration were significantly higher than those of P. deltoides. Our results demonstrated the crucial role of non-structural carbohydrate of plant species in resisting soil salinity stress.

Key words: non-structural carbohydrate, osmoregulation, nitrogen allocation, Populus deltoides, Populus cathayana

LIN Xia-Zhen, LIU Lin, DONG Ting-Ting, FANG Qi-Bo, GUO Qing-Xue. Effects of non-structural carbohydrate and nitrogen allocation on the ability of Populus deltoides and P. cathayana to resist soil salinity stress[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2021, 45(9): 961-971.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2021.0240

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2021/V45/I9/961

Figures/Tables 9

Fig. 1 Stem biomass (A), root biomass (B), total biomass (C) and leaf performance (D) of Populus deltoides and P. cathayana under different treatments (mean ± SE). CK, control; D, defoliation; Sa, salt stress; Sa-D, salt stress and defoliation; Sp, species. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences among treatments (p < 0.05). **, 0.001 < p ≤0.01; ***, p ≤ 0.001.

Fig. 2 Na+ and Cl- concentrations of leaf, stem and root in both Populus deltoides and P. cathayana under different treatments (mean ± SE). Root Cl- concentration was not tested because the root biomass of P. cathayana in the salt stress and defoliation treatment was not sufficient. CK, control; D, defoliation; Sa, salt stress; Sa-D, salt stress and defoliation; Sp, species. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences among treatments (p < 0.05). *, 0.01 < p ≤ 0.05; **, 0.001 < p ≤ 0.01; ***, p ≤ 0.001.

Fig. 3 The leaf photosynthetic and chlorophyll fluorescence traits of Populus deltoides and P. cathayana under different treatments (mean ± SE). Fv/Fm, maximum yield of primary photochemistry; gs, stomatal conductance; Pn, net photosynthetic rate; YII, effective quantum yield of PSII. CK, control; D, defoliation; Sa, salt stress; Sa-D, salt stress and defoliation; Sp, species. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences among treatments (p < 0.05). *, 0.01 < p ≤ 0.05; **, 0.001 < p ≤ 0.01; ***, p ≤ 0.001.

Fig. 4 Leaf, stem and root starch concentration of Populus deltoides and P. cathayana under different treatments (mean ± SE). CK, control; D, defoliation; Sa, salt stress; Sa-D, salt stress and defoliation; Sp, species. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences among treatments (p < 0.05). *, 0.01 < p ≤ 0.05; **, 0.001 < p ≤ 0.01; ***, p ≤ 0.001.

Table 1 Soluble sugars and sucrose concentration of leaf, stem and root in both Populus deltoides and P. cathayana under different treatments (mean ± SE)

处理 Treatment	可溶性糖 Soluble sugars (mg·g^-1)			蔗糖 Sucrose (mg·g^-1)
处理 Treatment	叶 Leaf	茎 Stem	根 Root	叶 Leaf	茎 Stem	根 Root
美洲黑杨 P. deltoides
对照 Control (CK)	134.1 ± 4.4^a	71.2 ± 2.2^a	51.6 ± 1.3^b	75.6 ± 3.9^a	27.6 ± 1.9^ab	27.6 ± 1.4^b
去叶 Defoliation (D)	143.1 ± 4.6^a	58.4 ± 1.9^bc	33.0 ± 1.3^e	73.8 ± 4.3^a	26.5 ± 2.6^abc	19.3 ± 1.4^c
盐胁迫 Salt stress (Sa)	144.9 ± 6.0^a	67.2 ± 3.0^ab	60.3 ± 1.8^a	79.4 ± 5.8^a	35.0 ± 4.4^a	37.7 ± 3.2^a
盐胁迫与去叶 Salt stress and Defoliation (Sa-D)	149.0 ± 2.3^a	54.1 ± 1.6^c	45.1 ± 1.1^bc	75.4 ± 3.9^a	25.3 ± 3.2^abc	22.0 ± 1.4^bc
青杨 P. cathayana
CK	144.6 ± 3.4^a	59.7 ± 1.8^bc	39.4 ± 1.5^cd	61.0 ± 2.4^ab	27.0 ± 3.3^abc	19.4 ± 0.6^c
D	141.6 ± 1.1^a	44.4 ± 1.9^d	38.7 ± 2.0^cd	47.2 ± 2.8^b	17.8 ± 2.0^bc	21.2 ± 1.8^bc
Sa	113.6 ± 5.5^b	34.6 ± 1.4^e	29.9 ± 3.4^e	49.0 ± 8.1^b	15.2 ± 1.6^bc	14.5 ± 1.2^cd
Sa-D	113.0 ± 4.2^b	31.0 ± 1.1^e	18.5 ± 1.2^f	44.5 ± 3.4^b	14.6 ± 1.2^c	11.0 ± 1.4^d
p
物种 Species (Sp)	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001
D	0.432	<0.001	<0.001	0.076	0.012	<0.001
Sa	0.001	<0.001	0.094	0.483	0.264	0.636
Sp × D	0.168	0.216	<0.001	0.352	0.894	<0.001
Sp × Sa	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	0.138	0.010	<0.001
D × Sa	0.833	0.044	0.174	0.598	1.000	0.012
Sp × D × Sa	0.549	0.035	0.010	0.388	0.034	0.676

Fig. 5 Adenosine diphosphate glucose (ADPG) pyrophosphorylase activity in the leaf and root of Populus deltoides and P. cathayana under different treatments (mean ± SE). CK, control; D, defoliation; Sa, salt stress; Sa-D, salt stress and defoliation; Sp, species. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences among treatments (p < 0.05). *, 0.01 < p ≤ 0.05; **, 0.001 < p ≤ 0.01; ***, p ≤ 0.001.

Fig. 6 Nitrogen stable isotope ratio (δ15N) in leaves of Populus deltoides and P. cathayana under different treatments (mean ± SE). CK, control; D, defoliation; Sa, salt stress; Sa-D, salt stress and defoliation; Sp, species. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences among treatments (p < 0.05). *, 0.01 < p ≤ 0.05; **, 0.001 < p ≤ 0.01; ***, p ≤ 0.001.

Fig. 7 NH4+, NO3- and proline concentrations in the leaf and root of Populus deltoides and P. cathayana under different treatments (mean ± SE). CK, control; D, defoliation; Sa, salt stress; Sa-D, salt stress and defoliation; Sp, species. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences among treatments (p < 0.05). *, 0.01 < p ≤ 0.05; **, 0.001 < p ≤ 0.01; ***, p ≤ 0.001.

Table 2 Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) and glutamine synthase (GS) activity of leaf and root in both Populus deltoides and P. cathayana under different treatments (mean ± SE)

处理 Treatment	谷氨酸脱氢酶 GDH (U)		谷氨酰胺合成酶 GS (U)
	叶 Leaf	根 Root	叶 Leaf	根 Root
美洲黑杨 P. deltoides
对照 Control (CK)	202.1 ± 25.3^cd	63.7 ± 7.7^b	7.5 ± 1.7^a	5.3 ± 0.5
去叶 Defoliation (D)	111.6 ± 26.2^de	82.6 ± 4.9^b	9.5 ± 1.6^a	4.6 ± 0.4
盐胁迫 Salt stress (Sa)	411.9 ± 40.6^b	129.3 ± 9.3^a	11.3 ± 1.8^a	4.6 ± 0.4
盐胁迫与去叶 Salt stress and Defoliation (Sa-D)	685.1 ± 22.6^a	49.2 ± 9.4^b	13.7 ± 1.5^a	3.8 ± 0.2
青杨 P. cathayana
CK	114.6 ± 15.2^de	73.5 ± 7.1^b	7.2 ± 0.9^a	3.5 ± 0.3
D	58.3 ± 12.6^e	85.7 ± 9.1^b	7.9 ± 0.9^a	3.7 ± 0.9
Sa	248.8 ± 36.7^c	78.4 ± 11.4^b	4.1 ± 0.5^a	3.5 ± 0.2
Sa-D	248.1 ± 28.1^c	78.2 ± 11.2^b	5.8 ± 0.9^a	3.8 ± 0.2
p
物种 Spices (Sp)	<0.001	0.726	<0.001	0.004
D	0.114	0.063	0.078	0.491
Sa	<0.001	0.253	0.454	0.242
Sp × D	0.004	0.007	0.582	0.136
Sp × Sa	<0.001	0.181	0.001	0.216
D × Sa	<0.001	<0.001	0.736	0.920
Sp × D × Sa	<0.001	0.002	0.880	0.888

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