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Are Root Hydraulic Conductivity Responses to Salinity Controlled by Aquaporins in Broccoli Plants?

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Abstract

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. Italica) is a recognised health-promoting vegetable, which is moderately sensitive to salinity. In this study, the primary response of broccoli plants (cv. Marathon) to salinity has been characterised. For this, leaf water relations, nutrient composition, root hydraulic conductivity (L 0) and the effect of mercury (an aquaporin blocker) on L 0 were determined for plants grown with 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 or 100 mM NaCl for 2 weeks. During the 2 weeks of treatment, the plants showed a two-phase growth response to salinity. During the first phase (1 week), growth reduction was high, probably related to water stress as no osmotic adjustment occurred and reductions of L 0, the mercury effect and Gs were observed. After 2 weeks, the growth reduction could have resulted from internal injury caused by Na+ or Cl−, since osmotic adjustment was achieved and water relations plus the mercury effect were re-established to a high degree, indicating high aquaporin functionality. The fact that aquaporin functionality fits well with the overall water relations response is very relevant, since the two-phase adaptation to salinity may imply two types of aquaporin regulation.

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Abbreviations

DTT:

dithiotreithol

Gs:

stomatal conductance

L 0 :

root hydraulic conductivity

Ψπ:

osmotic potential

Ψτ,:

turgor potential

Ψw:

water potential

RGR:

relative growth rate

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Nutrición Vegetal, CEBAS-CSIC, P.O. Box 164, 30100, Espinardo, Murcia, Spain

    Carmen López-Berenguer & Micaela Carvajal

  2. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, CEBAS-CSIC, P.O. Box 164, 30100, Espinardo, Murcia, Spain

    Cristina García-Viguera

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  1. Carmen López-Berenguer
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  2. Cristina García-Viguera
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  3. Micaela Carvajal
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Correspondence to Micaela Carvajal.

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López-Berenguer, C., García-Viguera, C. & Carvajal, M. Are Root Hydraulic Conductivity Responses to Salinity Controlled by Aquaporins in Broccoli Plants?. Plant Soil 279, 13–23 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-005-7010-x

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