Salinity resistance is one of the main concerns in arid and semi-arid regions. In this study, the effect of acetic acid pretreatment in salinity stress was investigated on parameters such as relative water content, electrolyte leakage, proline, malondialdehyde, phenolic compounds, protein and photosynthetic pigments content, phenylalanine ammonialyase enzyme activity and expression of important enzymes in rosmarinic acid biosynthesis (phenylalanine ammonialyase and rosmarinic acid synthase) in hydroponic culture of Melissa officinalis L. The seedlings were grown in Hoagland’s solution were pre-treated with acetic acid (10 µM) and then salinity stress was done with NaCl (35 mM) for 11 days. The results indicated that electrolyte leakage percent and malondialdehyde content were decreased, whereas, proline and phenol content were increased in acetic acid pretreated plants in salinity stress. Also, photosynthetic pigments content showed less reduction in acid acetic pretreated plants compared to the control plants. Phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity and gene expression increased in salinity stress. Increasing in rosmarinic acid synthase gene expression resulted in increasing rosmarinic acid content. Also, the amount of rosmarinic acid had a positive and significant relationship with the activity and expression of key genes in its biosynthesis. The results suggest that the use of acetic acid pretreatment, by initiating support mechanisms such as decreasing in peroxidation of membrane lipids, increasing in proline, phenolic compound, activity and expression of genes involved in phenolic compound and photosynthetic pigments played an important role in salinity stress modulation.
Type of Study:
Research |
Subject:
Salt Stress Received: 2020/08/21 | Accepted: 2021/01/26 | Published: 2021/07/12
Send email to the article author