Abstract
Pre-treatment of tomato plants with micromolar concentrations of omeprazole (OP), a benzimidazole proton pump inhibitor in mammalian systems, improves plant growth in terms of fresh weight of shoot and roots by 49 and 55% and dry weight by 54 and 105% under salt stress conditions (200 mM NaCl), respectively. Assessment of gas exchange, ion distribution, and gene expression profile in different organs strongly indicates that OP interferes with key components of the stress adaptation machinery, including hormonal control of root development (improving length and branching), protection of the photosynthetic system (improving quantum yield of photosystem II) and regulation of ion homeostasis (improving the K+:Na+ ratio in leaves and roots). To our knowledge OP is one of the few known molecules that at micromolar concentrations manifests a dual function as growth enhancer and salt stress protectant. Therefore, OP can be used as new inducer of stress tolerance to better understand molecular and physiological stress adaptation paths in plants and to design new products to improve crop performance under suboptimal growth conditions.Highlight: Omeprazole enhances growth of tomato and increases tolerance to salinity stress through alterations of gene expression and ion uptake and transport.
Highlights
Soil salinization is a major problem for agriculture
The stimulatory effect of OP was not limited to shoots; we observed that 1 μM stimulated root growth and biomass accumulation by increasing fresh weight (FW) and dry weight (DW) of roots by 55 and 56%, respectively
In this work we demonstrated that by feeding tomato roots with hormonal concentrations of omeprazole, a benzimidazole pump inhibitors (PPIs) in animal systems, we can significantly improve plant growth and ability to tolerate saline stress
Summary
Soil salinization is a major problem for agriculture. The effects of soil and water salinity on plant growth and development have been well-documented. Excess of Na+ and Cl− ions in proximity of the roots generate osmotic and ionic stress and activate signals inhibiting cell division and plant growth (Deinlein et al, 2014). Metabolic dysfunction and nutritional disorders associated with Na+ and Cl− loading in plant tissues and organs translate in further growth reduction and eventually irreversible cell damage. Upon exposure to salt stress, the control of growth, ion and water homeostasis becomes an essential part of an adaptation program that helps resuming growth, albeit at a reduced rate (Maggio et al, 2006; Park et al, 2016; Van Oosten et al, 2016; Annunziata et al, 2017).
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