Effects of nitric oxide on nitrogen metabolism in alfalfa under drought stress

doi:10.11686/cyxb2020322

Abstract

Abstract:

This experiment investigated the regulatory effects of nitric oxide on nitrogen compounds and nitrogen metabolism in alfalfa （Medicago sativa） under osmotic stress. External applications of NO donor sodium nitroprusside （SNP） and an NO scavenger （c-PTIO） to alfalfa seeds and seedlings were used to manipulate and study the behavior of endogenous NO-regulated nitrogenous substances and enzymes involved in nitrogen metabolism in alfalfa under PEG-induced simulated drought stress. It was found that， compared with PEG treatment， exogenous application of 0.1 mmol·L^-1 SNP increased the concentration of soluble proteins in the germination and seedling stages by an average of 16.91% and 8.87%， respectively， and decreased free amino acid concentration by an average of 14.92% and 0.68%， respectively. The activities of nitrate reductase （NR）， glutamine synthetase （GS） and glutamate synthase （GOGAT） were increased by up to 23.85%， 47.87%， and 60.06%， respectively， during the germination period， and by up to 16.31%， 23.56%， 72.89%， respectively， in seedlings. The activity of glutamate dehydrogenase （GDH） was decreased by up to 35.89% during germination and up to 33.35% in seedlings. The addition of c-PTIO under PEG stress exacerbated the inhibition effect on nitrogenous substances. The NO scavenger c-PTIO effects on NR， GS and GOGAT activities were not significant， while the activity of GDH was increased by an average of 18.26% and 4.62% during germination and in seedlings， respectively. Hence， the data indicate that NO promotes alfalfa nitrogen metabolism under PEG stress by regulating the activity of key enzymes in nitrogen metabolism， thus promoting the transport and accumulation of nitrogen for protein synthesis.

Key words: Medicago sativa, nitric oxide, PEG stress, nitrogen metabolism

Ying ZHAO, Xia-qing XIN, Xiao-hong WEI. Effects of nitric oxide on nitrogen metabolism in alfalfa under drought stress[J]. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 2021, 30(9): 86-96.

Figures/Tables 8

Fig.1 Effect of NO on NR activity in alfalfa during seed germination （A） and seedling （B） stage under PEG stress

Fig.2 Effect of NO on GS activity in alfalfa during seed germination （A） and seedling （B） stage under PEG stress

Fig.3 Effect of NO on GOGAT activity in alfalfa during seed germination （A） and seedling （B） stage under PEG stress

Fig.4 Effect of NO on GDH activity in alfalfa during seed germination （A） and seedling （B） stage under PEG stress

Fig.5 Effect of NO on amino nitrogen content of alfalfa during seed germination （A） and seedling （B） stage under PEG

Fig.6 Effect of NO on total protein content of alfalfa during seed germination （A） and seedling （B） stage under PEG

Fig.7 Effect of NO on soluble protein content of alfalfa during seed germination （A） and seedling （B） stage under PEG

Fig.8 Effects of NO on soluble protein electrophoresis atlas in alfalfa during seed germination （A） and seedling （B） stage under PEG stress

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