Physiological and proteomic analyses of leaves from the halophyte Tangut Nitraria reveals diverse response pathways critical for high salinity tolerance

Abstract

Soil salinization poses a serious threat to the environment and agricultural productivity worldwide. Studies on the physiological and molecular mechanisms of salinity tolerance in halophytic plants provide valuable information to enhance their salt tolerance. Tangut Nitraria is a widely distributed halophyte in saline–alkali soil in the northern areas of China. In this study, we used a proteomic approach to investigate the molecular pathways of the high salt tolerance of T. Nitraria. We analyzed the changes in biomass, photosynthesis, and redox-related enzyme activities in T. Nitraria leaves from plant seedlings treated with high salt concentration. Comparative proteomic analysis of the leaves revealed that the expression of 71 proteins was significantly altered after salinity treatments of T. Nitraria. These salinity-responsive proteins were mainly involved in photosynthesis, redox homeostasis, stress/defense, carbohydrate and energy metabolism, protein metabolism, signal transduction, and membrane transport. Results showed that the reduction of photosynthesis under salt stress was attributed to the down-regulation of the enzymes and proteins involved in the light reaction and Calvin cycle. Protein–protein interaction analysis revealed that the proteins involved in redox homeostasis, photosynthesis, and energy metabolism constructed two types of response networks to high salt stress. T. Nitraria plants developed diverse mechanisms for scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) in their leaves to cope with stress induced by high salinity. This study provides important information regarding the salt tolerance of the halophyte T. Nitraria.

Na2CO3-Responsive Photosynthetic and ROS Scavenging Mechanisms in Chloroplasts of Alkaligrass Revealed by Phosphoproteomics

“…Among the PSI core proteins, PsaA, PsaB, and PsaC [59] were decreased in alkaligrass (Figure S8C), barley ( Hordeum vulgare ) [60], and other halophytes [33,61]. The phosphorylation of PsaC was enhanced in alkaligrass at 24 HAT (Figure S8C), which has been reported in Arabidopsis, green algae ( Chlamydomonas reinhardtii ), and spikemoss ( Selaginella moellendorffii ) [23].…”

Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification‐based proteomic analysis of Puccinellia tenuiflora inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi reveal stress response mechanisms in alkali‐degraded soil

“…Proteomics have been used as a useful tool for facilitating the comparison of complex mixtures of proteins, and it is now widely applied for exploring the molecular mechanisms of plants in response to environmental stresses (Lv et al, ). Recently, proteomics‐based technologies have been broadly employed to identify the proteins responsible for salinity tolerance in halophytes such as Suaeda corniculata (Pang, Zhang, Zang, Wei, & Yan, ), Halogeton glomeratus (Wang, Yao, Li, Meng, & Ma, ), and Tangut nitraria (Cheng et al, ), which has accelerated the understanding of the protein‐level molecular mechanisms of plant salt tolerance. However, the effect of AMF on salinity stress tolerance in halophytes has not been explored using proteomics.…”

Leaf proteome analysis signified that photosynthesis and antioxidants are key indicators of salinity tolerance in canola (Brassica napus L.)

“…These results were similar to the findings of Maršálová et al, (2016) in which they identified in salt tolerant species of Hordeum vulagre. In contrast, Cheng et al, (2015) found that magnesium chelatase decreased in salt stressed plants of Tangut nitraria. Only one protein UDP-glucose for carbohydrate anabolism was differentially expressed in salt stressed canola cultivars.…”