Silicon, a quasi-essential element for plants, improves vigour and resilience under stress. Recently, studies on textile hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) showed its genetic predisposition to uptake silicic acid and accumulate it as silica in epidermal leaf cells and trichomes. Here, microscopy, silicon quantification and gene expression analysis of candidate genes involved in salt stress were performed in hemp to investigate whether the metalloid protects against salinity. The results obtained with microscopy reveal that silicon treatment ameliorated the symptoms of salinity in older fan leaves, where the xylem tissue showed vessels with a wider lumen. In younger ones, it was difficult to assess any mitigation of stress symptoms after silicon application. At the gene level, salinity with and without silicon induced the expression of a putative Si efflux transporter gene 2 (Lsi2). The addition of the metalloid did not result in any statistically significant changes in the expression of genes involved in stress response, although a trend towards a decrease was observed. In conclusion, the results showed that hemp stress symptoms can be alleviated in older leaves by silicon application, that the metalloid is accumulated in fan leaves and highlight one putative rice Lsi2 ortholog as responsive to salinity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

中文翻译：

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硅对盐胁迫大麻叶的缓解作用

硅是植物的准必需元素，可提高压力下的活力和恢复力。最近，对纺织大麻 (Cannabis sativa L.) 的研究表明，其遗传易感性吸收硅酸并将其作为二氧化硅积累在表皮叶细胞和毛状体中。在这里，在大麻中对参与盐胁迫的候选基因进行显微镜检查、硅定量和基因表达分析，以研究类金属是否能防止盐分。用显微镜获得的结果表明，硅处理改善了老扇叶的盐度症状，其中木质部组织显示出具有更宽管腔的血管。在较年轻的情况下，很难评估硅应用后压力症状的缓解情况。在基因层面，含硅和不含硅的盐度诱导假定的 Si 外排转运蛋白基因 2 (Lsi2) 的表达。尽管观察到了减少的趋势，但加入类金属并未导致参与应激反应的基因表达发生任何统计学上的显着变化。总之，结果表明，通过施用硅可以减轻老叶的大麻胁迫症状，类金属在扇叶中积累，并突出了一种假定的水稻 Lsi2 直系同源物对盐度的响应。本文受版权保护。版权所有。结果表明，通过施用硅可以缓解老叶的大麻胁迫症状，类金属在扇叶中积累，并突出了一种推定的水稻 Lsi2 直系同源物对盐度的响应。本文受版权保护。版权所有。结果表明，通过施用硅可以缓解老叶的大麻胁迫症状，类金属在扇叶中积累，突出了一种推定的水稻 Lsi2 直系同源物对盐度的响应。本文受版权保护。版权所有。