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Nitric Oxide is Required for Aminolevulinic Acid-Induced Salt Tolerance by Lowering Oxidative Stress in Maize (Zea mays)

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Abstract

Although some investigations show that 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) participates in plant stress tolerance, the role of nitric oxide (NO) in ALA-induced improvement in tolerance to salt stress in plants necessitates to be understood. So, a NO scavenger, 0.1 mM 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide potassium salt (cPTIO); was applied jointly with ALA. Of four ALA concentrations tested in a preliminary experiment, 20 mg L−1 was chosen to apply as seed treatment or foliage spray to saline-stressed maize seedlings. Salinity (100 mM NaCl) significantly led to reduction in plant biomass, PSII maximum efficiency (Fv/Fm), total chlorophyll, leaf potassium (K+) and calcium (Ca2+) as well as leaf water potential in both cultivars, but it led to enhanced contents of proline, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), electrolyte leakage (EL) and leaf sodium (Na+) as well as internal NO and nitric oxide synthase (NOS). ALA treatments improved plant growth, activities of antioxidant enzymes, and leaf Ca2+ and K+, but it led to further increases in leaf NO and NOS activity as well as ALA levels. ALA-induced salt tolerance was completely abolished by cPTIO application by eliminating the internal NO generation. This evidently showed that ALA triggered the synthesis of NO through activation of NOS, which in turn improved salt tolerance of the maize plants.

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Acknowledgements

The support from the University of Harran for carrying out this research is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soil Science & Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, Harran University, Şanlıurfa, Turkey

    Cengiz Kaya

  2. University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Muhammad Ashraf

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  1. Cengiz Kaya
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  2. Muhammad Ashraf
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CK conducted the experimentation, did data analysis and drafted the manuscript. MA played a significant role in designing the whole experimentation and did considerable review of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Cengiz Kaya.

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Kaya, C., Ashraf, M. Nitric Oxide is Required for Aminolevulinic Acid-Induced Salt Tolerance by Lowering Oxidative Stress in Maize (Zea mays). J Plant Growth Regul 40, 617–627 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-020-10126-z

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