Effects of exogenous nitric oxide on wild barley (Hordeum brevisubulatum) under salt stress

Abstract

Soil salinization has become more and more serious. Exogenous nitric oxide (NO) could act in alleviating toxicity in plants. In this study, we aimed to explore the growth, photosynthetic pigments, water-solubles content, proteins, antioxidant enzyme parameters, and element contents of two types of wild barley (Hordeum brevisubulatum (Trin.) Link.), wild-type barley and Saertu wild barley cultivars, in response to salt stress. Both cultivars were first treated with 300 µmol·L −1 NaCl (increased in 25 µmol·L −1 increments to 300 µmol·L −1 for 7 days). Next, plants were sprayed with different NO concentrations on days 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20 after the NaCl concentration reached 300 µmol·L −1. The results showed that salt stress alone decreased all growth parameters [plant height (HT), fresh weight (FW), total dry weight (DW)], the photosynthetic pigment and protein contents, and the activity of the antioxidant enzymes [ascorbic acid peroxidase (APX), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD)], and significantly increased the K+ and Na+ elements contents, water solubles and malondialdehyde (MDA) compared with the controls. However, the inhibitory effects of salt stress in both wild barley cultivars were alleviated by exogenous NO treatment, and 200 µmol·L −1 NO was the most effective concentration to improve plant growth, ion element levels and the physiology of wild barley under high salt stress. Altogether, this study demonstrated the beneficial role of exogenous NO donor, sodium nitroprusside, on wild barley under salinity stress and the underlying physiological and biochemical mechanisms.