Impact of salinity on early reproductive physiology of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) in relation to a heterogeneous distribution of toxic ions in flower organs
Michel Edmond Ghanem A D , Johannes van Elteren B , Alfonso Albacete C , Muriel Quinet A , Cristina Martínez-Andújar C , Jean-Marie Kinet A , Francisco Pérez-Alfocea C and Stanley Lutts AA Groupe de Recherche en Physiologie Végétale, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 5, boîte 13, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
B National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
C Departamento de Nutrición Vegetal, Centro de Edafologia y Biologia Aplicada del Segura (C.E.B.A.S.), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (C.S.I.C.), Campus Universitario de Espinardo, 30100 Espinardo, Murcia, Spain.
D Corresponding author. Email: michel.ghanem@uclouvain.be
Functional Plant Biology 36(2) 125-136 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP08256
Submitted: 6 October 2008 Accepted: 20 November 2008 Published: 5 February 2009
Abstract
The effect of short-term treatments (10 days) by a high salt level (150 mm NaCl) on vegetative and reproductive development was investigated in tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. Ailsa Craig) at two developmental stages. Salinity applied during flowering transition reduced shoot biomass and delayed the appearance of the first inflorescence. Both shoot and root biomasses were reduced when salt was applied during the development of the first inflorescence. At both stages, areas of young leaves decreased and time to first anthesis increased, while total number of flowers in the first inflorescence was not affected. Flower abortion, reduction of pollen number and viability were higher when salinity was applied during inflorescence development. Na+ accumulated in all organs while K+ decreased. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry microanalysis revealed that Na+ accumulated in style, ovaries and anther intermediate layers but not in the tapetum nor in the pollen grains when salinity was applied during inflorescence development. K+ was not significantly affected in these structures. Soluble carbohydrates dramatically increased in leaves and decreased in the inflorescence under salt stress conditions. The failure of inflorescence to develop normally under salt stress can be better explained in terms of altered source–sink relationships rather than accumulation of toxic ions.
Additional keywords: carbohydrates, flowering, inflorescence, laser ablation ICP-MS, NaCl, ovary, pollen, salt stress.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Ms Tanja Mrak, Dr Samo Hočevar, Ms Mersida Janeva and Dr Vid S. Šelih for their assistance in preparation and analysis of the tomato sample parts for LA-ICP-MS analysis. This work was supported by the ‘Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique’ F.R.S.-FNRS- Belgium (project FRFC-2456308). MEG is very grateful to the Communauté Française de Belgique for a travel grant. AA is very grateful to the CSIC (Spain) for a research grant (I3P Program). FPA thanks the Fundación Séneca de la Región de Murcia (project 03011/PI/05) and the MICINN (project CICYT-FEDER AGL2008–1733/AGR) for financial support. MQ is grateful to the F.R.S.-FNRS for the award of a research fellowship. The authors dedicate this paper to Professor Pierre Wittouck (UCL- Belgium).
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