Effects of root extract of host plants on seed germination and haustorium formation of Cistanche deserticola

Abstract

We examined the effects of root extracts of Haloxylon ammodendron and Beta vulgaris in Chenopodiaceae extracted by water and ethanol on seed germination and haustorium formation of Cistanche deserticola by filter paper culture dish method. The results showed that only adding root extract had no effect on seed germination and haustorium formation of C. deserticola. The germination rate of C. deserticola seeds treated by adding 10 mg·kg-1 gibberellin to the root extracted by ethanol was not significantly different from that of the control (GA3), whereas those treated by adding gibberellin to the ethanol extract of two kinds of host root was increased by more than 10 times. The germination rate of C. deserticola seeds in the treatment with adding 1 mg·kg-1 fluridone (FL) to root extract was not significantly different from that in the control with only fluridone, while those in the treatment with B. vulgaris root water extraction was the highest (39.4%). Compared to the treatment of adding gibberellin to the root extract, the germination rate of C. deserticola seeds was only increased. When FL was added to the host root extract, the haustorium was formed on the germination tube, with the formation rate of the ethanol extraction group being the highest (16.2%). Seed germination rate of C. deserticola increased to 52.3% when GA3 and FL were added to the ethanol extract of H. ammodendron, but the formation rate of haustorium was not different from that of FL treatment. Only 6.7% of the seed formation haustorium in the control was significantly lower than that in FL treatment. There were differences in the position and shape of the haustorium of C. deserticola seeds under different treatments. The haustorium produced by adding the extract of the host root mostly appeared at the top of the bud tube, and many papillae raised into claws. The haustorium of FL treatment without adding the extract of the host root mostly appeared at the bottom or the top of the bud tube splitting. The results indicated that ethanol extraction and water extraction could extract the substances that could promote the formation of C. deserticola seeds haustorium from the host root, but did not affect seed germination. GA3 and FL could significantly improve the germination rate of C. deserticola seeds, but the formation of the haustorium was affected by some substances in the host root extract.