Journal of Plant Pathology & Microbiology

Physiological and molecular response of young halophyte plants to salinity

International Conference on Plant Physiology & Pathology

June 09-10, 2016 Dallas, USA

Faiza Hamdani, Arezki Derridj and Hilary Rogers

Universite Mouloud Mammeri de Tizi-Ouzou, Algeria
Cardiff University, UK

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Plant Pathol Microbiol

Abstract:

The extension of irrigated agriculture and the intense utilization of water resources in hot and dry countries lead to an inevitable appearance of salinity problems in soil and water. Atriplex halimus L. is a perennial native shrub of the Mediterranean Basin with an excellent tolerance to drought and salinity. Plants have developed a range of mechanisms to mitigate the effects of drought and salinity including sequestration of Na+ ions in the vacuole, synthesis and accumulation of osmolytes such as, proline, sugars and glycine betaine, which facilitate cell metabolism under stress conditions. Antioxidant metabolism also plays an important role in protecting plants from a wide variety of environmental stresses including drought, and salinity. In this study, a comparison was made in physiological, biological and molecular responses of two Atriplex halimus L. populations from contrasting environments: arid steppe and saline coastline to increasing levels of salt over a 6 week growth period. Results show a greater survival of the coastal population as well as greater accumulation of Na+ and K+ which is mirrored by higher induction of antiporter gene expression. Both proline and glycine betaine increased more significantly in the coastal population accompanied by greater induction of the CMO gene. Ascorbic acid content rose with increase in salt concentrations in both populations and catalase activity was strongly induced indicating an activation of ROS scavenging mechanisms both of which were more highly activated in the coastal population.

Biography :

Email: HamdaniF2@cardiff.ac.uk