Xianyong Lin

Nitrate reductase‐mediated early nitric oxide burst alleviates oxidative damage induced by aluminum through enhancement of antioxidant defenses in roots of wheat (Triticum aestivum)

• Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule involved in the physiological processes of plants. The role of NO release in the tolerance strategies of roots of wheat (Triticum aestivum) under aluminum (Al) stress was investigated using two genotypes with different Al resistances. • An early NO burst at 3 h was observed in the root tips of the Al-tolerant genotype Jian-864, whereas the Al-sensitive genotype Yang-5 showed no NO accumulation at 3 h but an extremely high NO concentration after 12 h. Stimulating NO production at 3 h in the root tips of Yang-5 with the NO donor relieved Al-induced root inhibition and callose production, as well as oxidative damage and ROS accumulation, while elimination of the early NO burst by NO scavenger aggravated root inhibition in Jian-864. • Synthesis of early NO in roots of Jian-864 was mediated through nitrate reductase (NR) but not through NO synthase. Elevated antioxidant enzyme activities were induced by Al stress in both wheat genotypes and significantly enhanced by NO donor, but suppressed by NO scavenger or NR inhibitor. • These results suggest that an NR-mediated early NO burst plays an important role in Al resistance of wheat through modulating enhanced antioxidant defense to adapt to Al stress.

Nitric oxide alleviates aluminum‐induced oxidative damage through regulating the ascorbate‐glutathione cycle in roots of wheat

The possible association with nitric oxide (NO) and ascorbate-glutathione (AsA-GSH) cycle in regulating aluminum (Al) tolerance of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was investigated using two genotypes with different Al resistance. Exposure to Al inhibited root elongation, and triggered lipid peroxidation and oxidation of AsA to dehydroascorbate and GSH to glutathione disulfide in wheat roots. Exogenous NO significantly increased endogenous NO levels, and subsequently alleviated Al-induced inhibition of root elongation and oxidation of AsA and GSH to maintain the redox molecules in the reduced form in both wheat genotypes. Under Al stress, significantly increased activities and gene transcriptional levels of ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and dehydroascorbate reductase, were observed in the root tips of the Al-tolerant genotype Jian-864. Nitric oxide application enhanced the activity and gene transcriptional level of these enzymes in both wheat genotypes. γ-Glutamylcysteine synthetase was not significantly affected by Al or NO, but NO treatments increased the activity of glutathione peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase to a greater extent than the Al-treated wheat seedlings. Proline was significantly decreased by Al, while it was not affected by NO. These results clearly suggest that NO protects wheat root against Al-induced oxidative stress, possibly through its regulation of the AsA-GSH cycle.

Comparative effects of 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) and dicyandiamide (DCD) on ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea in a vegetable soil

Nitrification inhibitors (NIs) 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) and dicyandiamide (DCD) have been used extensively to improve nitrogen fertilizer utilization in farmland. However, their comparative effects on ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) in agricultural soils are still unclear. Here, we compared the impacts of these two inhibitors on soil nitrification, AOA and AOB abundance as well as their community structure in a vegetable soil by using real-time PCR and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP). Our results showed that urea application significantly increased the net nitrification rates, but were significantly inhibited by both NIs, and the inhibitory effect of DMPP was significantly greater than that of DCD. AOB growth was more greatly inhibited by DMPP than by DCD, and the net nitrification rate was significantly related to AOB abundance, but not to AOA abundance. Application of urea and NIs to soil did not change the diversity of the AOA community, with the T-RFs remaining in proportions that were similar to control soils, while the community structure of AOB exhibited obvious shifts within all different treatments compared to the control. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all AOA sequences fell within group 1.1a and group 1.1b, and the AOB community consisted of Nitrosospira cluster 3, cluster 0, and unidentified species. These results suggest that DMPP exhibited a stronger inhibitory effect on nitrification than DCD by inhibiting AOB rather than AOA.

Decreasing methylation of pectin caused by nitric oxide leads to higher aluminium binding in cell walls and greater aluminium sensitivity of wheat roots

Highlight Aluminium-induced nitric oxide production enhances the aluminium sensitivity of wheat by decreasing pectin methylation of root cell-wall pectin, resulting in greater aluminium binding in root cell walls.

Inhibition of ethylene production by putrescine alleviates aluminium-induced root inhibition in wheat plants

Inhibition of root elongation is one of the most distinct symptoms of aluminium (Al) toxicity. Although putrescine (Put) has been identified as an important signaling molecule involved in Al tolerance, it is yet unknown how Put mitigates Al-induced root inhibition. Here, the possible mechanism was investigated by using two wheat genotypes differing in Al resistance: Al-tolerant Xi Aimai-1 and Al-sensitive Yangmai-5. Aluminium caused more root inhibition in Yangmai-5 and increased ethylene production at the root apices compared to Xi Aimai-1, whereas the effects were significantly reversed by ethylene biosynthesis inhibitors. The simultaneous exposure of wheat seedlings to Al and ethylene donor, ethephon, or ethylene biosynthesis precursor, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), increased ethylene production and aggravated root inhibition, which was more pronounced in Xi Aimai-1. In contrast, Put treatment decreased ethylene production and alleviated Al-induced root inhibition in both genotypes, and the effects were more conspicuous in Yangmai-5. Furthermore, our results indicated that Al-induced ethylene production was mediated by ACC synthase (ACS) and ACC oxidase, and that Put decreased ethylene production by inhibiting ACS. Altogether, these findings indicate that ethylene is involved in Al-induced root inhibition and this process could be alleviated by Put through inhibiting ACS activity.

Effects of organic amendment on soil aggregation and microbial community composition during drying-rewetting alternation

The alternation of drying and rewetting events could dramatically affect the biological and structural properties of soil and consequently influence nutrient transformation. To examine whether organic amendments could improve the resistance and resilience of microbial function (extracellular enzyme activities), community composition (phospholipid fatty acids), and soil structure to drying-rewetting alternation, cropland soils with or without wheat-straw amendment were allowed to desiccate in a microcosm for two months, followed by moist incubation for five weeks, and continuously moist treatments were maintained at 50% water holding capacity during the entire period, as a control treatment. Straw amendment increased microbial biomass, extracellular enzyme activities, the relative abundance of fungal groups, dissolved organic carbon, and proportion of large macroaggregates (>2000μm), but decreased mineral nitrogen and available phosphorus. The drying-rewetting treatment increased microbial biomass carbon and β-glucosidase activities by 10% and 13% in straw-amended soils, respectively, but not in unamended soils, and decreased the urease and alkaline phosphomonoesterase activities by >15% in unamended soils, but not in amended soils. The contents of fungi, actinomycetes, Pseudomonas spp., and Bacillus spp. decreased with drying, and more so with the subsequent rewetting, but recovered by the end of the experiment. The drying-rewetting treatment caused a decrease in the nitrate content in both soils (>10%) and an increase in the macroaggregates of straw-amended soils (~8%). These results indicated that improved soil aggregation, as a result of straw amendment, protected microbial communities from drought stress and that nutrient acquisition promoted the post-rewetting colonization of heterotrophic communities characterized by hydrolase production, which consequently facilitated aggregate re-formation. Thus, straw amendment positively contributed to aggregate turnover and to both microbial and enzymatic responses to drying-rewetting events, which suggests that straw amendment is favorable to maintain soil function under conditions of increasing rainfall variability.

Facilitation of phosphorus adsorption onto sediment by aquatic plant debris

Aquatic plant debris in lakes or rivers may affect phosphorus flux in water-sediment systems. In this study, either aquatic plant debris or typical plant components (cellulose or glucose), were added into a system of sediment (50 g) and overlying water (2L) with different initial SRP (soluble reactive phosphorus) concentrations to investigate the impact. After 18 days of treatment with 4 g of plant debris, the SRP in the overlying water for 0.5 and 2 mg L(-1) initial SRP tests at 30°C decreased by 41 and 53%, respectively, compared to the treatments without plant debris. Cellulose and glucose treatments gave similar results as plant debris treatment. When the water-sediment system was sterilized, the cellulose- or glucose-facilitated decrease in SRP vanished. Additionally, in the non-sterilized system, the glucose treatment significantly increased both the microbial biomass carbon and the microbial biomass phosphorous in the sediment. Although total phosphorous in the sediment increased with glucose treatment, its water soluble and iron associated inorganic fractions, two labile phosphorus fractions, were clearly reduced. Our results suggest that the short-term retention of plant debris in water systems facilitates a decrease in overlying water SRP through microbe-mediated mechanisms of phosphorus adsorption and stabilization in sediment.

Calcium Deficiency Triggers Phloem Remobilization of Cadmium in a Hyperaccumulating Species.

The hyperaccumulator Sedum alfredii under Ca deficiency accumulates a high level of Cd in young tissues by its efficient phloem remobilization of the metal. Understanding cadmium (Cd) accumulation in plants is critical for the development of plant-based strategies for soil remediation and crop safety. Sedum alfredii is a nonbrassica plant species known to hyperaccumulate Cd. The characteristics of Cd uptake, distribution, and retranslocation affected by the Ca status were investigated at cellular levels in S. alfredii. Low Ca supply significantly increased Cd contents in shoots of S. alfredii, particularly in the young leaves. Micro x-ray fluorescence images confirmed that sequestration of Cd was greatly enhanced in the young leaves under Ca deficiency stress, with a significant amount of Cd localized in mesophyll cells, compared to the young leaves supplied with high Ca levels. Cd influx into protoplasts isolated from young leaves was significantly inhibited by the addition of Ca channel inhibitors, but not by pre-exposure to Ca deficiency. In stems, the Cd signal in vascular systems under low Ca levels was 10-fold higher than in those treated with higher Ca levels. A detailed investigation of vascular bundles revealed that an extremely high Cd signal induced by low Ca supply occurred in the phloem tissues, but not in the xylem tissues. Transfer of Cd pretreated plants to nutrient solutions at different Ca levels confirmed that a much higher amount of Cd was reallocated to the new growth tissues under low Ca stress compared to plants supplied with sufficient Ca. These results suggest that Ca deficiency triggered a highly efficient phloem remobilization of Cd in S. alfredii and subsequently enhanced Cd accumulation in its young leaves.

Deriving sorption indices for the prediction of potential phosphorus loss from calcareous soils

The aim of this study was to develop techniques to evaluate soil phosphorus (P) sorption capacity (PSC) and determine critical soil P levels to predict P loss potential for calcareous soils. Seventy-five soils mostly from Northern China were analyzed for soil P using four extraction methods (water, Pw; carbonate, POls; ammonium oxalate, Pox; and Mehlich 3, PM3) as well as PSC derived from single-point (PSC150) and multipoint sorption (St) isotherms. Strong correlation was found between PSC150 and St (r2=0.89, p<0.001). The sum of αCaM3 and βMgM3 as an index of PSC (PSC(CaM3 + MgM3)) was most closely related to the maximum amount of P sorbed (Smax) as given by the sum of St and soil initial P setting α=0.039 and β=0.462 (r2=0.80, p<0.001). The degree of P saturation (DPS) was thereafter calculated from PSC(CaM3 + MgM3) (DPS(CaM3 + MgM3)), to which Olsen P (POls) was significantly correlated (r2=0.82, p<0.001). In a split-line regression from Pw against DPS(CaM3 + MgM3) (r2=0.87, p<0.05), a change point was identified at 28.1% DPS(CaM3 + MgM3), which was equivalent to 49.2 mg kg−1 POls and corresponded to a Pw concentration of 8.8 mg kg−1. After the change point, a sharp increase in Pw was observed. Our results reveal a new approach to approximating DPS from CaM3 and MgM3 for calcareous soils without the need to generate a Smax. We conclude that in the absence of an environmental soil test criteria for P, the DPS(CaM3 + MgM3) and POls could be used to predict P loss potential from calcareous soils.

Ammonium reduces oxalate accumulation in different spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) genotypes by inhibiting root uptake of nitrate

Excessive accumulation of oxalate negatively affects nutritional value of many vegetables, such as spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.). Mixed solution of ammonium and nitrate could effectively reduce oxalate accumulation, while the mechanism involved remains unknown. High (Heizhenzhu) and low (Weilv) oxalate-accumulated spinach genotypes were used in this study to investigate the association of oxalate accumulation and root uptake of nitrogen. Exposure of increasing nitrate or mixed-nitrogen (nitrate:ammonium = 1:1) significantly increased leaf total and soluble oxalate contents. In contrast, increasing ammonium did not result in elevation of leaf oxalate. Correlation analysis confirmed that leaf oxalate accumulation was positively associated with root uptake of nitrate but not ammonium. Moreover, addition of ammonium significantly reduced nitrate uptake rate, and subsequently decreased leaf oxalate accumulation. The results suggest that oxalate synthesis in spinach leaves is associated with its root uptake of nitrate, and ammonium is able to reduce oxalate accumulation by inhibiting uptake of nitrate.