Xiangqiang Kong

H2O2 and ABA signaling are responsible for the increased Na+ efflux and water uptake in Gossypium hirsutum L. roots in the non-saline side under non-uniform root zone salinity

Non-uniform root salinity increases the Na(+)efflux, water use, and growth of the root in non-saline side, which may be regulated by some form of signaling induced by the high-salinity side. However, the signaling and its specific function have remained unknown. Using a split-root system to simulate a non-uniform root zone salinity in Gossypium hirsutum L., we showed that the up-regulated expression of sodium efflux-related genes (SOS1, SOS2, PMA1, and PMA2) and water uptake-related genes (PIP1 and PIP2) was possibly involved in the elevated Na(+) efflux and water use in the the roots in the non-saline side. The increased level of indole acetic acid (IAA) in the non-saline side was the likely cause of the increased root growth. Also, the abscisic acid (ABA) and H2O2 contents in roots in the non-saline side increased, possibly due to the increased expression of their key biosynthesis genes, NCED and RBOHC, and the decreased expression of ABA catabolic CYP707A genes. Exogenous ABA added to the non-saline side induced H2O2 generation by up-regulating the RBOHC gene, but this was decreased by exogenous fluridone. Exogenous H2O2 added to the non-saline side reduced the ABA content by down-regulating NCED genes, which can be induced by diphenylene iodonium (DPI) treatment in the non-saline side, suggesting a feedback mechanism between ABA and H2O2.Both exogenous ABA and H2O2 enhanced the expression of SOS1, PIP1;7 ,PIP2;2, and PIP2;10 genes, but these were down-regulated by fluridone and DPI, suggesting that H2O2 and ABA are important signals for increasing root Na(+) efflux and water uptake in the roots in the non-saline side.

Salt Stress Effects on Secondary Metabolites of Cotton in Relation to Gene Expression Responsible for Aphid Development

Many secondary metabolites have insecticidal efficacy against pests and may be affected by abiotic stress. However, little is known of how plants may respond to such stress as pertains the growth and development of pests. The objective of this study was to determine if and how salt stress on cotton plants affects the population dynamics of aphids. The NaCl treatment (50mM, 100mM, 150mM and 200mM) increased contents of gossypol in cotton by 26.8–51.4%, flavonoids by 22.5–37.6% and tannic by 15.1–24.3% at 7–28 d after salt stress. Compared with non-stressed plants, the population of aphids on 150 and 200 mM NaCl stressed plants was reduced by 46.4 and 65.4% at 7d and by 97.3 and 100% at 14 days after infestation. Reductions in aphid population were possibly attributed to the elevated secondary metabolism under salt stress. A total of 796 clones for aphids transcriptome, 412 clones in the positive- library (TEST) and 384 clones in the reverse-library (Ck), were obtained from subtracted cDNA libraries and sequenced. Gene ontology (GO) functional classification and KEGG pathway analysis showed more genes related to fatty acid and lipid biosynthesis, and fewer genes related to carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism and cell motility pathways in TEST than in Ck library, which might be the reason of aphids population reduction. A comparative analysis with qRT-PCR indicated high expression of transcripts CYP6A14, CYP6A13, CYP303A1, NADH dehydrogenase and fatty acid synthase in the TEST group. However, CYP307A1 and two ecdysone-induced protein genes were down regulated. The results indicate that genes of aphids related to growth and development can express at a higher level in reaction to the enhanced secondary metabolism in cotton under salinity stress. The expression of CYP307A1 was positively correlated with the population dynamics of aphids since it was involved in ecdysone synthesis.

Non-uniform salinity in the root zone alleviates salt damage by increasing sodium, water and nutrient transport genes expression in cotton.

Non-uniform salinity alleviates salt damage through sets of physiological adjustments in Na+ transport in leaf and water and nutrient uptake in the non-saline root side. However, little is known of how non-uniform salinity induces these adjustments. In this study, RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis shown that the expression of sodium transport and photosynthesis related genes in the non-uniform treatment were higher than that in the uniform treatment, which may be the reason for the increased photosynthetic (Pn) rate and decreased Na+ content in leaves of the non-uniform salinity treatment. Most of the water and nutrient transport related genes were up-regulated in the non-saline root side but down-regulated in roots of the high-saline side, which might be the key reason for the increased water and nutrient uptake in the non-saline root side. Furthermore, the expression pattern of most differentially expressed transcription factor and hormone related genes in the non-saline root side was similar to that in the high-saline side. The alleviated salt damage by non-uniform salinity was probably attributed to the increased expression of salt tolerance related genes in the leaf and that of water and nutrient uptake genes in the non-saline root side.

Global gene expression in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) leaves to waterlogging stress.

Cotton is sensitive to waterlogging stress, which usually results in stunted growth and yield loss. To date, the molecular mechanisms underlying the responses to waterlogging in cotton remain elusive. Cotton was grown in a rain-shelter and subjected to 0 (control)-, 10-, 15- and 20-d waterlogging at flowering stage. The fourth-leaves on the main-stem from the top were sampled and immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen for physiological measurement. Global gene transcription in the leaves of 15-d waterlogged plants was analyzed by RNA-Seq. Seven hundred and ninety four genes were up-regulated and 1018 genes were down-regulated in waterlogged cotton leaves compared with non-waterlogged control. The differentially expressed genes were mainly related to photosynthesis, nitrogen metabolism, starch and sucrose metabolism, glycolysis and plant hormone signal transduction. KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) analysis indicated that most genes related to flavonoid biosynthesis, oxidative phosphorylation, amino acid metabolism and biosynthesis as well as circadian rhythm pathways were differently expressed. Waterlogging increased the expression of anaerobic fermentation related genes, such as alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), but decreased the leaf chlorophyll concentration and photosynthesis by down-regulating the expression of photosynthesis related genes. Many genes related to plant hormones and transcription factors were differently expressed under waterlogging stress. Most of the ethylene related genes and ethylene-responsive factor-type transcription factors were up-regulated under water-logging stress, suggesting that ethylene may play key roles in the survival of cotton under waterlogging stress.

Soil Plus Foliar Nitrogen Application increases Cotton Growth and Salinity Tolerance

Soil or foliar application of nitrogen (N) can increase plant growth and salinity tolerance in cotton, but a combination of both methods is seldom studied under salinity stress. A pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of soil application (S), foliar application (F), and a combination of both (S+F) with labeled nitrogen (15N) on cotton growth, N uptake and translocation under salinity stress (ECe = 12.5 dS m−1). Plant biomass, leaf area, leaf chlorophyll (Chl) content, leaf net photosynthetic (Pn) rate, levels of 15N and [Na+] and K+/ Na+ ratio in plant tissues were determined at 3, 7, 14 and 28 days after N application (DAN). Results showed that soil or foliar nitrogen fertilization improved plant biomass, leaf area per plant and leaf photosynthesis, and a combination of soil- plus foliar-applied N was superior to either S or F alone under salinity stress. Although foliar application favored a rapid accumulation of leaf N and soil application a rapid accumulation of root N, S+F enhanced N accumulation in both leaf and root under salinity stress. The combined N application also maintained significantly greater [K+] and K+/Na+ than either soil or foliar application alone. Therefore, the improved plant growth and salinity tolerance under S+F relative to soil or foliar N application alone was attributed to the increased total uptake of N, balanced N concentrations in different tissues through enhanced uptake and accumulation in both leaves and roots, and higher ratio of K+/Na+.