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Functional Plant Biology Functional Plant Biology Society
Plant function and evolutionary biology
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Seawater stress applied at germination affects mitochondrial function in durum wheat (Triticum durum) early seedlings

Zina Flagella A B D , Daniela Trono A C , Marianna Pompa A , Natale Di Fonzo C and Donato Pastore A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Dipartimento di Scienze Agroambientali, Chimica e Difesa Vegetale, Università di Foggia, Via Napoli, 25-71100 Foggia, Italy.

B Centro di Ricerea Interdipartimentale BIOAGROMED, Università di Foggia, Via Napoli, 6/B-71100 Foggia, Italy.

C Istituto Sperimentale per la Cerealicoltura C.R.A., SS 16 Km 675-71100 Foggia, Italy.

D Corresponding author. Email: z.flagella@unifg.it

Functional Plant Biology 33(4) 357-366 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP05244
Submitted: 4 October 2005  Accepted: 2 February 2006   Published: 3 April 2006

Abstract

Seawater stress effects on mitochondrial ATP synthesis and membrane potential (ΔΨ) were investigated in germinating durum wheat seedlings under moderate (22% seawater osmolarity, –0.62 MPa) and severe (37% seawater osmolarity, –1.04 MPa) stress. To estimate the osmotic component of salt stress, mannitol solutions (0.25 and 0.42 m) iso-osmotic with the saline ones were used. Moderate stress intensity only delayed mean germination time (MGT), whereas higher seawater osmolarity reduced germination percentage as well. In contrast, Na+ and Cl accumulation showed a sharp increase under moderate stress and only a small further increase under severe stress, which was more pronounced for Cl. Only severe stress significantly damaged succinate-dependent oxidative phosphorylation, which may be related to the stress-induced alteration in inner mitochondrial membrane permeability, as indicated by changes in ΔΨ profiles. Proline-dependent oxidative phosphorylation, however, was inhibited under moderate stress. This suggests the occurrence of an adaptation mechanism leading to proline accumulation as an osmoprotectant. Moreover, both the osmotic and the toxic components of seawater stress were detrimental to oxidative phosphorylation. Damage to germination and MGT, in contrast, were mainly caused by osmotic stress. Therefore, mitochondrial function appears to be a more sensitive target of toxic stress than growth. In conclusion, the effects of seawater stress on mitochondrial ATP synthesis vary in relation to the substrate oxidised and stress level, inducing both adaptive responses and damage.

Keywords: durum wheat, mitochondrial ATP synthesis, plant mitochondria, osmotic stress, salt stress, seawater.


Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the University of Foggia to Z Flagella, under the project ‘Physiological indicators of salt tolerance in durum wheat’. We thank Dr Lucia Vittozzi who participated as a student in this work.


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