Chung Ho Ko

Blue LED light enhances growth, phytochemical contents, and antioxidant enzyme activities of Rehmannia glutinosa cultured in vitro

The objective of the current study is to determine the effect of light quality on enhancement of growth, phytochemicals, antioxidant potential, and antioxidant enzyme activities at in vitro cultures of Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. In vitro-grown shoot tip explants were cultured on the plant growth regulator (PGR)-free Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium and cultured under a conventional cool white fluorescent light (control), blue light emitting diode (LED) light or red LED light. After four weeks, the growth traits along with total phenol content, total flavonoid content, free radical scavenging activities, and antioxidant enzyme activities were measured. Interestingly, the blue or red LED treatments showed a significant increase in growth parameters compared with the cool white florescent light. In addition, the LED treatments increased the total phenol and flavonoid levels in leaf and root extracts. Furthermore, data on the total antioxidant capacity, reducing power potential, and DPPH radical scavenging capacity also revealed the enhancement of antioxidant capacity under both blue and red LED treatments. Especially, the blue LED treatment significantly increased the antioxidant enzyme activities in both the leaf and root, followed by the red LED treatment. Modulation in the spectral quality particularly by the blue LED induced the antioxidant defense line and was directly correlated with the enhancement of phytochemicals. Therefore, the incorporation of blue or red LED light sources during in vitro propagation of R. glutinosa can be a beneficial way to increase the medicinal values of the plant.

Silicon Mitigates Salinity Stress by Regulating the Physiology, Antioxidant Enzyme Activities, and Protein Expression in Capsicum annuum ‘Bugwang’

Silicon- (Si-) induced salinity stress resistance was demonstrated at physiological and proteomic levels in Capsicum annuum for the first time. Seedlings of C. annuum were hydroponically treated with NaCl (50 mM) with or without Si (1.8 mM) for 15 days. The results illustrated that saline conditions significantly reduced plant growth and biomass and photosynthetic parameters and increased the electrolyte leakage potential, lipid peroxidation, and hydrogen peroxide level. However, supplementation of Si allowed the plants to recover from salinity stress by improving their physiology and photosynthesis. During salinity stress, Si prevented oxidative damage by increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Furthermore, Si supplementation recovered the nutrient imbalance that had occurred during salinity stress. Additionally, proteomic analysis by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) followed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) revealed that Si treatment upregulated the accumulation of proteins involved in several metabolic processes, particularly those associated with nucleotide binding and transferase activity. Moreover, Si modulated the expression of vital proteins involved in ubiquitin-mediated nucleosome pathway and carbohydrate metabolism. Overall, the results illustrate that Si application induced resistance against salinity stress in C. annuum by regulating the physiology, antioxidant metabolism, and protein expression.

Proteomic Study Related to Vascular Connections in Watermelon Scions Grafted onto Bottle-Gourd Rootstock under Different Light Intensities

Although grafting is broadly used in the production of crops, no information is available about the proteins involved in vascular connections between rootstock and scion. Similarly, proteome changes under the light intensities widely used for grafted seedlings are of practical use. The objective of this study was to determine the proteome of vascular connections using watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris Schrad.) ‘Sambok Honey’ and ‘Speed’ as the scion and bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria Stanld.) ‘RS Dongjanggun’ as the rootstock grown under different light intensities (25, 50, 75 and 100 μmol m−2 s−1). Our proteomic analysis revealed 24 and 27 differentially expressed proteins in ‘Sambok Honey’ and ‘Speed’, respectively, under different light intensities. The identified proteins were largely involved in ion binding, amino acid metabolism, transcriptional regulation and defense response. The enhancement of ion-binding, transcriptional regulation, amino acid metabolism, and defense response proteins suggests a strengthening of the connection between the rootstock and scion under high light intensity. Indeed, the accumulation of key enzymes in the biological processes described above appears to play an important role in the vascular connections of grafted seedlings. Moreover, it appears that 100 μmol m−2 s−1 results in better protein expression responses in grafted seedlings.

Physiological and Proteomic Investigations to Study the Response of Tomato Graft Unions under Temperature Stress.

Background Grafting is an established practice for asexual propagation in horticultural and agricultural crops. The study on graft unions has become of interest for horticulturists using proteomic and genomic techniques to observe transfer of genetic material and signal transduction pathways from root to shoot and shoot to root. Another reason to study the graft unions was potentially to observe resistance against abiotic stresses. Using physiological and proteomic analyses, we investigated graft unions (rootstock and scions) of tomato genotypes exposed to standard-normal (23/23 and 25/18°C day/night) and high-low temperatures (30/15°C day/night). Results Graft unions had varied responses to the diverse temperatures. High-low temperature, but not standard-normal temperature, induced the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the form of H2O2 and O2-1 in rootstock and scions. However, the expression of many cell protection molecules was also induced, including antioxidant enzymes and their immunoblots, which also show an increase in their activities such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). The graft interfaces thus actively defend against stress by modifying their physiological and proteomic responses to establish a new cellular homeostasis. As a result, many proteins for cellular defense were regulated in graft unions under diverse temperature, in addition to the regulation of photosynthetic proteins, ion binding/transport proteins, and protein synthesis. Moreover, biomass, hardness, and vascular transport activity were evaluated to investigate the basic connectivity between rootstock and scions. Conclusions Our study provides physiological evidence of the grafted plants’ response to diverse temperature. Most notably, our study provides novel insight into the mechanisms used to adapt the diverse temperature in graft unions (rootstock/scion).

Silicon-mediated enhancement of physiological and biochemical characteristics of Zinnia elegans ‘Dreamland Yellow’ grown under salinity stress

This study investigated the effects of silicon (Si) nutrition on hydroponically grown Zinnia elegans under salinity stress. In this study, six treatments, the control (basal nutrients without NaCl or Si), Si 50 (1.8 mM), Si 100 (3.6 mM), NaCl 50 (50 mM), Si 50 + NaCl 50 (1.8 mM Si; 50 mM NaCl), and Si 100 + NaCl 50 (Si-3.6 mM + NaCl-50 mM), were employed. After 15 days of treatment, growth parameters, biochemical measurements, and antioxidant enzyme activities were examined. Salinity stress significantly reduced plant growth, biomass, photosynthetic parameters, and pigments, and increased the electrolyte leakage potential (ELP), lipid peroxidation, and hydrogen peroxide level. Interestingly, with Si supplementation, Z. elegans recovered from salinity stress. Si enhanced growth and photosynthesis, and prevented the decomposition of photosynthetic pigments. Moreover, the addition of Si increased membrane integrity, thereby reducing the ELP and lipid peroxidation levels under salinity stress. Furthermore, Si modulated the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) in scavenging excess reactive oxygen species (ROS). Additionally, Si increased the macronutrient and micronutrient contents. Therefore, augmentation with Si provided salinity resistance and enhanced the growth of Z. elegans.

Leaf Physiological and Proteomic Analysis to Elucidate Silicon Induced Adaptive Response under Salt Stress in Rosa hybrida ‘Rock Fire’

Beneficial effects of silicon (Si) on growth and development have been witnessed in several plants. Nevertheless, studies on roses are merely reported. Therefore, the present investigation was carried out to illustrate the impact of Si on photosynthesis, antioxidant defense and leaf proteome of rose under salinity stress. In vitro-grown, acclimatized Rosa hybrida ‘Rock Fire’ were hydroponically treated with four treatments, such as control, Si (1.8 mM), NaCl (50 mM), and Si+NaCl. After 15 days, the consequences of salinity stress and the response of Si addition were analyzed. Scorching of leaf edges and stomatal damages occurred due to salt stress was ameliorated under Si supplementation. Similarly, reduction of gas exchange, photosynthetic pigments, higher lipid peroxidation rate, and accumulation of reactive oxygen species under salinity stress were mitigated in Si treatment. Lesser oxidative stress observed was correlated with the enhanced activity and expression of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase in Si+NaCl treatment. Importantly, sodium transportation was synergistically restricted with the stimulated counter-uptake of potassium in Si+NaCl treatment. Furthermore, two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) results showed that out of 40 identified proteins, on comparison with control 34 proteins were down-accumulated and six proteins were up-accumulated due to salinity stress. Meanwhile, addition of Si with NaCl treatment enhanced the abundance of 30 proteins and downregulated five proteins. Differentially-expressed proteins were functionally classified into six groups, such as photosynthesis (22%), carbohydrate/energy metabolism (20%), transcription/translation (20%), stress/redox homeostasis (12%), ion binding (13%), and ubiquitination (8%). Hence, the findings reported in this work could facilitate a deeper understanding on potential mechanism(s) adapted by rose due to the exogenous Si supplementation during the salinity stress.

Photoperiodic responses of Kalanchoe and chrysanthemum to radiation by an infrared lamp

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of a low intensity infrared radiation on the growth and photoperiodic responses of Kalanchoe blossfeldiana ‘Kaluna’ and ‘Taos’, and Dendranthema grandiflorum ‘Lemon Eye’ grown in growth chambers. In the first experiment, uniformly-rooted cuttings of ‘Kaluna’ and ‘Lemon Eye’ were selected and transplanted to 10 cm pots. After a week, pots were transferred from greenhouse to three environment-controlled growth chambers. All chambers were maintained at 25 ± 1 and 70% RH with an 8 hours photoperiod (760 μmol·m−2·s−1), provided by high pressure sodium and white fluorescent lamps. During the night period one chamber was left unlit (darkness), while the second and third ones were lit with an incandescent lamp (10 μmol·m−2·s−1) or an infrared lamp (15 μmol·m−2·s−1), respectively. Shoot length, root length, stem diameter, number of flowers, number of branches, fresh weight, and dry weight were measured after eight weeks. Flowering occurred on plants maintained in the unlit darkness and under an incandescent lamp during the night period, while only vegetative growth was observed under an infrared lamp. In the second experiment, cuttings of uniformly-rooted ‘Taos’ and ‘Lemon Eye’ were selected and transferred from the greenhouse to three environment-controlled growth chambers with the same environment setting as in the first experiment at a week after potting. During the night period one chamber was left unlit (darkness), the second and third ones were lit with an incandescent or an infrared heating lamp, both at a 0.3 μmol·m−2·s−1 PPFD level. After nine weeks, flowering in all treatments was observed, but was slightly delayed under an incandescent and an infrared heating lamp. Because both the incandescent lamp and the infrared lamp slightly delayed flowering in these two species, a more detailed experiment is necessary to find out at which intensity and light quality inhibits the flowering of these species.