Aqil Ahmad

Role of proline under changing environments: A review

When exposed to stressful conditions, plants accumulate an array of metabolites, particularly amino acids. Amino acids have traditionally been considered as precursors to and constituents of proteins, and play an important role in plant metabolism and development. A large body of data suggests a positive correlation between proline accumulation and plant stress. Proline, an amino acid, plays a highly beneficial role in plants exposed to various stress conditions. Besides acting as an excellent osmolyte, proline plays three major roles during stress, i.e., as a metal chelator, an antioxidative defense molecule and a signaling molecule. Review of the literature indicates that a stressful environment results in an overproduction of proline in plants which in turn imparts stress tolerance by maintaining cell turgor or osmotic balance; stabilizing membranes thereby preventing electrolyte leakage; and bringing concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within normal ranges, thus preventing oxidative burst in plants. Reports indicate enhanced stress tolerance when proline is supplied exogenously at low concentrations. However, some reports indicate toxic effects of proline when supplied exogenously at higher concentrations. In this article, we review and discuss the effects of exogenous proline on plants exposed to various abiotic stresses. Numerous examples of successful application of exogenous proline to improve stress tolerance are presented. The roles played by exogenous proline under varying environments have been critically examined and reviewed.

Salicylic Acid Influences Net Photosynthetic Rate, Carboxylation Efficiency, Nitrate Reductase Activity, and Seed Yield in Brassica juncea

Aqueous solutions of salicylic acid (SA) were applied to the foliage of 30-d-old plants of mustard (Brassica juncea Czern & Coss cv. Varuna). The plants sprayed with the lowest used concentration (10−5 M) of SA were healthier than those sprayed with water only or with higher concentrations of SA (10−4 or 10−3 M). 60-d-old plants possessed 8.4, 9.8, 9.3, 13.0 and 18.5 % larger dry mass, net photosynthetic rate, carboxylation efficiency, and activities of nitrate reductase and carbonic anhydrase over the control, respectively. Moreover, the number of pods and the seed yield increased by 13.7 and 8.4 % over the control.

Salicylic acid : a plant hormone

Preface. Contributors. 1. Salicylic acid: Biosynthesis, metabolism and physiological role in plants S. Hayat, B. Ali and A. Ahmad 2. Effects of salicylic acid on the bioproductivity of plants A. Larque-Saavedra and R. Martin-Mex 3. Effect of salicylic acid on solute transport in plants M.S. Krasavina 4. Role of hormonal system in the manifestation of growth promoting and antistress action of salicylic acid F.M. Shakirova 5. Role of salicylic acid in the induction of abiotic stress tolerance T. Janda, E. Horvath, G. Szalai and E. Paldi 6. The role of salicylates in Rhizobium-legume symbiosis and abiotic stresses in higher plants F. Mabood and D. Smith 7. Stress and antistress effects of salicylic acid and acetyl salicylic acid on potato culture technology H.A. Lopez-Delgado, I.M. Scott and M.E. Mora-Herrera 8. Salicylic acid and reactive oxygen species in the activation of stress defense genes L. Holuigue, P. Salinas, F. Blanco and V. Garreton 9. The interplay between salicylic acid and reactive oxygen species during cell death in plants J.F. Dat, N. Capelli, F. van Breusegem 10. Salicylic acid as a defense-related plant hormone: Roles of oxidative and calcium signaling paths in salicylic acid biology T. Kawano and T. Furuichi 11. Salicylic acid and local resistance to pathogens I.V. Maksimov and L. G. Yarullina 12. Salicylic acid in plant disease resistance R. Chaturvedi and J. Shah 13. Transcriptomic analysis of salicylic acid-responsive genes in tobacco BY-2 cells I. Galis and K.Matsuoka Index.

Nickel: An Overview of Uptake, Essentiality and Toxicity in Plants

Nickel even though recognized as a trace element, its metabolism is very decisive for certain enzyme activities, maintaining proper cellular redox state and various other biochemical, physiological and growth responses. Study of the aspects related with uptake, transport and distributive localization of Ni is very important in various cellular metabolic processes particularly under increased nitrogen metabolism. This review article, in core, encompasses the dual behavior of Ni in plants emphasizing its systemic partitioning, essentiality and ill effects. However, the core mechanism of molecules involved and the successive physiological conditions required starting from the soil absorption, neutralization and toxicity generated is still elusive, and varies among the plants.

Effect of 28-homobrassinolide treatment on nickel toxicity in Brassica juncea

Plants of Brassica juncea L. cv. T-59 were supplied with 50 or 100 µM nickel (Ni50, Ni100) at 10 d after sowing (DAS), and sprayed with 28-homobrassinolide (HBR) at 20 DAS. The plants treated with Ni alone exhibited reduced growth, net photosynthetic rate, content of chlorophyll, and the activities of nitrate reductase (E.C.1.6.6.1) and carbonic anhydrase (E.C. 4.2.1.1) at observed 40 DAS, whereas, the contents of peroxidase (PER), catalase (CAT), and proline were increased. However, the spray of HBR partially neutralized the toxic effect of Ni on most of the parameters. Moreover, the treatment of HBR in association with either of the Ni concentration boosted the contents of PER and CAT in leaves and that of proline both in leaves and roots.

Brassinosteroids protect photosynthetic machinery against the cadmium induced oxidative stress in two tomato cultivars

The present study was conducted with an aim to gain better insight of brassinosteroid generated response on the effects of cadmium on photosynthetic machinery and active oxygen metabolism in two tomato cultivars (K-25 and Sarvodya). These tomato cultivars were subjected to graded cadmium levels in soil (0, 3, 6, 9 or 12 mg kg(-1) soil) with their foliage being sprayed with 0 or 10(-8) M of 28-homobrassinolide/24-epibrassinolide (HBL/EBL) at 59 d stage. The results suggested that photosynthetic parameters, leaf water potential and activity of several enzymes (nitrate reductase and carbonic anhydrase) decreased significantly in both the cultivars, to a lesser extent in K-25 than Sarvodya with the increasing levels of cadmium in the soil. However, the activity of antioxidant enzymes and proline content increased in response to metal treatment as well as the application of brassinosteroids (HBL/EBL). Overall, exogenous application of brassinosteroids improved the activity of photosynthetic machinery and that of antioxidant defense system in both the cultivars, and also nullified the damaging effect of metal on these parameters.

Brassinosteroids and their role in response of plants to abiotic stresses

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are polyhydroxylated steroidal plant hormones that play pivotal role in the regulation of various plant growth and development processes. BR biosynthetic or signaling mutants clearly indicate that these plant steroids are essential for regulating a variety of physiological processes including cellular expansion and proliferation, vascular differentiation, male fertility, timing senescence, and leaf development. Moreover, BRs regulate the expression of hundreds of genes, affect the activity of numerous metabolic pathways, and help to control overall developmental programs leading to morphogenesis. On the other hand, the potential application of BRs in agriculture to improve growth and yield under various stress conditions including drought, salinity, extreme temperatures, and heavy metal (Cd, Cu, Al, and Ni) toxicity, is of immense significance as these stresses severely hamper the normal metabolism of plants. Keeping in mind the multifaceted role of BRs, an attempt has been made to cover the various aspects mediated by BRs particularly under stress conditions and a possible mechanism of action of BRs has also been suggested.

Physiological changes induced by chromium stress in plants: an overview

This article presents an overview of the mechanism of chromium (Cr) stress in plants. Toxic effects of Cr on plant growth and development depend primarily on its valence state. Cr(VI) is highly toxic and mobile whereas Cr(III) is less toxic. Cr-induced oxidative stress involves induction of lipid peroxidation in plants that cause severe damage to cell membranes which includes degradation of photosynthetic pigments causing deterioration in growth. The potential of plants with the adequacy to accumulate or to stabilize Cr compounds for bioremediation of Cr contamination has gained engrossment in recent years.

Salicylic Acid: Biosynthesis, Metabolism and Physiological Role in Plants

Salicylic acid (SA) is a phenolic derivative, distributed in a wide range of plant species. It is a natural product of phenylpropanoid metabolism. Decarboxylation of transcinnamic acid to benzoic acid and its subsequent 2-hydroxylation results to SA. It undergoes metabolism by conjugating with glucose to SA glucoside and an ester. SA has direct involvement in plant growth, thermogenesis, flower induction and uptake of ions. It affects ethylene biosynthesis, stomatal movement and also reverses the effects of ABA on leaf abscission. Enhancement of the level of chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments, photosynthetic rate and modifying the activity of some of the important enzymes are other roles assigned to SA. This chapter gives a comprehensive coverage to all the above aspects.

Photosynthetic rate, growth, and yield of mustard plants sprayed with 28-homobrassinolide.

Thirty-day-old plants of mustard (Brassica juncea L.) were sprayed with 10−10, 10−8, or 10−6 M aqueous solution of 28-homobrassinolide (HBR). The HBR-treated plants were healthier than those treated with water and yielded more. Maximum increase over control was found in 60-d-old, 10−8 M-HBR-treated plants in fresh and dry mass per plant, carbonic anhydrase (CA, E.C. 4.2.1.1) activity, and net photosynthetic rate (PN), at harvest in number of pods per plant and seed yield per plant (the respective values were 25, 30, 34, 69, 24, and 29 %). A further increase in the concentration of HBR (10−6 M) did not make any additional impact on the growth and yield. Increased CA activity and PN were correlated with growth and seed yield.