Abstract
Salicylic acid (SA) is involved in plant response to many abiotic stresses. This study investigated the potential role of SA in regulating chilling tolerance of maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings. The results showed that chilling stress induced transient accumulation of free SA in maize plants, and stimulated the enzymatic activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and benzoic acid-2-hydroxylase. However, seedlings pretreated with SA biosynthesis inhibitors (i.e., 2-aminoindane-2-phosphonic acid or 1-aminobenzotriazole) accumulated significantly less free and bound SA and suffered more severe cold injury. Together, these results indicated that the chilling-induced SA accumulation in maize seedlings was mainly attributed to the PAL pathway. SA application also induced chilling tolerance of maize seedlings; whereas, inhibition of SA biosynthesis significantly increased membrane peroxidation, decreased antioxidant enzymes activities, and resulted in growth retardation. Exogenous SA treatments reversed the effects of the SA inhibitors on chilling tolerance, indicating the important endogenous role of SA in inducing chilling tolerance of maize plants.
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