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

Lower levels of UV-B light trigger the adaptive responses by inducing plant antioxidant metabolism and flavonoid biosynthesis in Medicago sativa seedlings

Limei Gao https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4806-1449 A B D , Ying Liu B , Xiaofei Wang B , Yongfeng Li B C and Rong Han A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Shanxi Normal University, Linfen 041000, China.

B Cell Biology Laboratory, College of Life Science, Shanxi Normal University, Linfen 041000, China.

C Analysis and Testing Center, Shanxi Normal University, Linfen 041000, China.

D Corresponding author. Email: limeigao1122@126.com

Functional Plant Biology 46(10) 896-906 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP19007
Submitted: 16 January 2019  Accepted: 21 May 2019   Published: 14 June 2019

Abstract

Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) light, as an intrinsic part of sunlight, has more significant effects on plant growth and photomorphogenesis than other organisms due to plant’s sessile growth pattern. In our studies, we have observed that alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) seedlings are very sensitive to UV-B performance. Seedlings have grown better at lower levels of UV-B light (UV-B irradiation dosage <17.35 μW cm–2 day–1), and have higher UV-resistance. However, the higher levels of UV-B light (UV-B irradiation dosage >17.35 μW cm–2 day–1) has caused severe stress injuries to alfalfa seedlings, and seriously inhibited its growth and development. Chlorophyll biosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence have been suppressed under all different dosage of UV-B light conditions. Plant antioxidant enzymes were induced by lower levels of UV-B, but greatly inhibited under higher levels of UV-B light. The contents of flavonoid compounds significantly increased under UV-B light compared with controls, and that was more significant under lower levels of UV-B than higher levels of UV-B. Therefore, we have assumed that the significant induction of plant antioxidant capacity and flavonoid excessive accumulation play a central role in alfalfa UV-B tolerance to lower levels of UV-B irradiation.

Additional keywords: flavonoid, plant antioxidant capacity, UV-B tolerance.


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