Ion Balance Research Articles

Using seasonal genomic changes to understand historical adaptation to new environments: Parallel selection on stickleback in highly-variable estuaries.

Parallel evolution is considered strong evidence for natural selection. However, few studies have investigated the process of parallel selection as it plays out in real time. The common approach is to study historical signatures of selection in populations already well adapted to different environments. Here, to document selection under natural conditions, we study six populations of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) inhabiting bar-built estuaries that undergo seasonal cycles of environmental changes. Estuaries are periodically isolated from the ocean due to sandbar formation during dry summer months, with concurrent environmental shifts that resemble the long-term changes associated with postglacial colonization of freshwater habitats by marine populations. We used pooled whole-genome sequencing to track seasonal allele frequency changes in six of these populations and search for signatures of natural selection. We found consistent changes in allele frequency across estuaries, suggesting a potential role for parallel selection. Functional enrichment among candidate genes included transmembrane ion transport and calcium binding, which are important for osmoregulation and ion balance. The genomic changes that occur in threespine stickleback from bar-built estuaries could provide a glimpse into the early stages of adaptation that have occurred in many historical marine to freshwater transitions.

Involvement of salicylic acid in the response to potassium deficiency revealed by metabolomics

Potassium (K) deficiency has consequences not only on cellular ion balance and transmembrane potential but also on metabolism. In fact, several enzymes are K-dependent including enzymes in catabolism, causing an alteration in glycolysis and respiration. In addition, K deficiency is associated with the induction of specific pathways and accumulation of metabolic biomarkers, such as putrescine. However, such drastic changes are usually observed when K deficiency is established. Here, we carried out a kinetic analysis with metabolomics to elucidate early metabolic events when nutrient conditions change from K-sufficiency to K-deficiency in Arabidopsis rosettes from both wild type and mutants affected in both K absorption and low-K signalling (hak5 akt1 cipk23). Our results show that mutants have a metabolomics pattern similar to K-deficient wild-type, showing a constitutive metabolic response to low K. In addition, shifting to low K conditions induces (i) changes in sugar metabolism and (ii) an accumulation of salicylic acid metabolites before the appearance of biomarkers of K deficiency (putrescine and aconitate), and such an accumulation is more pronounced in mutants. Our results suggest that early events in the response to low K conditions involve salicylic acid metabolism.

Chinese Traditional Fermented Soy Sauce Exerts Protective Effects against High-Fat and High-Salt Diet-Induced Hypertension in Sprague-Dawley Rats by Improving Adipogenesis and Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System Activity

Although high-fat and high-salt diets are considered risk factors for hypertension, the intake of salty soybean-based fermented foods has beneficial effects. This study explored the potential of Chinese traditional fermented soy sauce (CTFSS) in preventing hypertension by analyzing its effects on adipogenesis and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into four groups (n = 6): normal diet (ND), high-fat diet (HD), high-fat diet with saline (HDS, NaCl-8%), and high-fat diet with Chinese traditional soy sauce (HDCTS, NaCl-8%). Each group is administrated 12 weeks by oral gavage as 10 mL/kg dose, respectively. CTFSS supplementation resulted in significantly lower body weight, epididymal fat weight, and systolic blood pressure. Additionally, it decreased the serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), renin, angiotensin II (Ang II), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), and aldosterone levels. It also increased the urinary volume and improved sodium and potassium ion balance. The gene levels showed significant enhancements in the mRNA levels of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system-related and adipogenesis-related genes. In addition, CTFSS may prevent hypertension-associated kidney injury. Therefore, this study demonstrates that CTFSS has no harmful effects on hypertension. In contrast, the beneficial effects of CTFSS intake in ameliorating hypertension were shown.

A Review of the Occurrence and Mechanisms of Induction of Osteoporosis Following Spinal Cord Injury

Introduction: Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes devastating injuries in patients. The main mechanisms of the pathogenesis of secondary injury include nerve degeneration, gliosis, and inflammation. Spinal cord injury induces a disorder or failure in several organs due to the vital role of the spinal cord in regulating bodily functions. Osteoporosis is a consequence of spinal cord injury that occurs in the vast majority of patients with spinal cord injury. Articles on the related topic were searched in the following databases: Science Direct, Scopus, Springer Science, PubMed and Google scholar to have been used in writing from this review article. A total of 120 related research papers, including quantitatve and qualitative researches in English, from the last 57 years papers (1962- 2019) were included in this study. The review article is written according to 120 articles and the keywords “Spinal cord injury, Osteoporosis, Inflammation, Osteoblast and Osteoclast”. Conclusion: Although weight loss is an important factor in the development of osteoporosis following SCI, inflammation, nerve damage, and hormonal changes also contribute to this process. Hormonal changes mediated by SCI may contribute to postoperative osteoporosis with several mechanisms. These mechanisms included: increased renal excretion and decreased intestinal absorption of calcium, consequently, a negative balance of calcium ions; Vitamin D deficiency; impair the function of the gonads and inhibits the osteoanabolic (ossification) activity of sex steroids; elevated blood leptin; Pituitary suppression of parathyroid hormone, and bone loss following SCI may (at least in part) be caused directly by insulin resistance and insulin-like growth factor.

Minimizing the Adversely Impacts of Water Deficit and Soil Salinity on Maize Growth and Productivity in Response to the Application of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria and Silica Nanoparticles

The development of new approaches for sustaining soil quality, leaf health, and maize productivity are imperative in light of water deficit and soil salinity. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and silica nanoparticles (SiNP) are expected to improve soil chemistry leading to improved plant performance and productivity. In this field experiment, water deficit is imposed by three irrigation intervals—12 (I1), 15 (I2), and 18 (I3) days. Plants are also treated with foliar and soil applications (control, PGPR, SiNP, and PGPR + SiNP) to assess soil enzymatic activity, soil physicochemical properties, plant physiological traits, biochemical analysis, nutrient uptake, and productivity of maize (Zea mays L.) plants grown under salt-affected soil during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. With longer irrigation intervals, soil application of PGPR relieves the deleterious impacts of water shortage and improves yield-related traits and maize productivity. This is attributed to the improvement in soil enzymatic activity (dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase) and soil physicochemical characteristics, which enhances the plants’ health and growth under longer irrigation intervals (i.e., I2 and I3). Foliar spraying of SiNP shows an improvement in the physiological traits in maize plants grown under water shortage. This is mainly owing to the decline in oxidative stress by improving the enzymatic activity (CAT, SOD, and POD) and ion balance (K+/Na+), resulting in higher photosynthetic rate, relative water content, photosynthetic pigments, and stomatal conductance, alongside reduced proline content, electrolyte leakage, lipid peroxidase, and sodium content under salt-affected soil. The co-treatment of SiNP with PGPR confirms greater improvement in yield-related traits, maize productivity, as well as nutrient uptake (N, P, and K). Accordingly, their combination is a good strategy for relieving the detrimental impacts of water shortage and soil salinity on maize production.

Some aspects of metal ion transport and <em>in silico</em> gene expression analysis of potassium/sodium ion transporters, channels and exchangers in root nodules

Rhizobia establish a symbiotic relationship with legumes, which results in the formation of root nodules, the ecological niche for intracellular rhizobia. The infected cell of a root nodule is a special integral unit of plant and nitrogen fixing rhizobia. Nodules tend to be very sensitive to ionic stresses, such as salt stress. High vulnerability toward ionic stresses might be due to defects in ion balance and transport in the infected tissue. The purpose of this minireview is to summarize the current data regarding metal ion transport in the root nodule, with particular emphasis on potassium/sodium ion transport. A bioinformatic approach and in silico gene expression analysis have been used to obtain some insight for K+/Na+ transportеr channels and exchangers in root nodule developmental zones.

Growth and metabolic responses of orange spotted grouper Epinephelus coioides (Hamilton, 1822) fingerlings at different salinity regimes

A feeding trial was conducted for 60 days to delineate the effect of different salinities on growth and metabolic responses in fingerlings of orange spotted grouper Epinephelus coioides (Hamilton, 1822). The grouper fingerlings (N=1050; Av. wt. 2.0±0.01 g) were distributed equally into seven treatments of varying salinities viz., 5±1‰ (T1), 10±1‰ (T2), 15±1‰ (T3), 20±1‰ (T4), 25±1‰ (T5), 30±1‰ (T6) and 35±1‰ (T7) in triplicates. Fingerlings were fed with commercial diet containing 45% crude protein and 10% lipid. Results from the experiment concluded that growth performance of fingerlings of T4 group was better with minimum metabolic enzyme activity. The liver glycogen was significantly lower (p<0.05) in T4 group. Oxygen consumption rate (OCR) was recorded maximum at 15±1‰ and was significantly reduced for the fingerlings maintained at high salinity (p<0.05) from 20±1 to 35±1‰. Orange spotted grouper fingerlings maintained at salinity of 20±1‰ confirmed that, the animal spent less metabolic energy for maintaining the ionic balance at this optimum salinity compared to other salinities and it was reflected in better growth performance with minimum OCR and metabolic enzyme activities.

ORAL HOMEOSTASISSTATUSIN MILD CHRONIC GENERALIZED PERIODONTITIS AND MILD DENTAL PERI-IMPLANTITIS

The paper is focused on evaluating the oral cavity homeostasis in patients with mild chronic generalized periodontitis (CGP) (Group 1, 35 persons) and mild peri-implantitis (Group 2, 30 persons). The control group included healthy individuals (20 persons) with neither dental nor somatic issues. The material used for the study was oral fluid. The general metabolic processes in the periodontal and peri-implant area tissues were described based on analysis of the protein and mineral metabolism indicators, as well as on the hygiene and periodontal status indices. The paper presents the results of a comparative assessment involving Groups I and II with the control group and between Groups I and II. Our findings show changes in ion balance in both groups. Significant disturbances in the protein and mineral metabolism have been identified in the main groups, which contributes to the development of inflammation and reduced detoxification in periodontal and peri-implant tissues. A rise in Calcium and Magnesium indicates destructive processes in bone tissues. In case of mild CGP, these changes are more prominent. The oral hygiene and periodontal status indices in Group I proved to be significantly worse. Therefore, while performing implantation on the background of chronic generalized periodontitis, it is important to take into account its metabolic imbalance and implement preventive measures

Reductionist approaches to the study of ionoregulation in fishes

The mechanisms underlying ionoregulation in fishes have been studied for nearly a century, and reductionist methods have been applied at all levels of biological organization in this field of research. The complex nature of ionoregulatory systems in fishes makes them ideally suited to reductionist methods and our collective understanding has been dramatically shaped by their use. This review provides an overview of the broad suite of techniques used to elucidate ionoregulatory mechanisms in fishes, from the whole-animal level down to the gene, discussing some of the advantages and disadvantages of these methods. We provide a roadmap for understanding and appreciating the work that has formed the current models of organismal, endocrine, cellular, molecular, and genetic regulation of ion balance in fishes and highlight the contribution that reductionist techniques have made to some of the fundamental leaps forward in the field throughout its history.

A novel fluorescent probe for high-fidelity imaging of mitochondria viscosity changes

Studies have shown that the changes of mitochondrial viscosity which is close related to its state can be affected by the destruction of ion balance, excessive production of reactive oxygen species, apoptosis and other factors. However, these processes are usually connected to mitochondrial depolarization, causing probes with cationic mitochondrial targeting groups to escape from the mitochondria. As a result, it is impossible to perform high-fidelity imaging of mitochondrial viscosity changes. To solve this problem, we report a novel viscosity probe (MF-V1) which is able to investigate the changes of mitochondrial viscosity under mitochondrial depolarization. Interestingly, MF-V1 exhibited excellent performance, including large ''off-on'' fluorescence response (130-fold), large Stokes shift (119 nm), and high fluorescence quantum yield in glycerol (0.64). More importantly, MF-V1 has been successfully used to monitor viscosity changes of mitochondria under normal and depolarized conditions. Additionally, the new probe was also used to detect viscosity changes in zebrafish and mice, affording a powerful tool for investigating the relationship between mitochondrial viscosity and related diseases.

Role of hydrogen peroxide pre-treatment on the acclimation of pistachio seedlings to salt stress

Oxidative stress, provided that a mild level is imposed, can benefit the plants latterly subject to stress. In the present work, acclimation of pistachio seedlings, which had previously been sprayed with different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as an oxidative stressor, to salt stress was investigated. The plants, formerly treated with 0, 1, 5, or 10 mM H2O2, were subsequently imposed to NaCl stress (120 or 240 mM) for 7 days. The results revealed that the levels of ionic leakage, proline and reducing sugar in the leaves as well as the sodium and chlorine concentrations in the roots and the shoots were increased under salt stresses, while the chlorophyll and relative water content (RWC) were reduced. The exposure of the H2O2-pretreated seedlings to salt stress led to higher proline and reducing sugar contents, and greater RWC and chlorophyll compared with the seedlings only treated with salt. Pre-treating with H2O2 made the potassium uptake by the roots enhance. Conversely, the sodium content decreased, leading to a correspondingly lower Na+/K+ ratio. Thus, acclimation to salinity with a mild H2O2 stress seems to operate through an enhanced osmotic adjustment activity and improved ionic balance (Na+/K+ ratio) of pistachio seedlings. However, more studies need to be done, particularly at the molecular level, to boost our understanding of the mechanisms involved in H2O2-mediated, induced resistance to salt stress.

Thermal acclimation alters Na+/K+-ATPase activity in a tissue-specific manner in Drosophila melanogaster

Insects, like the model species Drosophila melanogaster, lose neuromuscular function and enter a state of paralysis (chill coma) at a population- and species-specific low temperature threshold that is decreased by cold acclimation. Entry into this coma is related to a spreading depolarization in the central nervous system, while recovery involves restoration of electrochemical gradients across muscle cell membranes. The Na+/K+-ATPase helps maintain ion balance and membrane potential in both the brain and hemolymph (surrounding muscles), and changes in thermal tolerance traits have therefore been hypothesized to be closely linked to variation in the expression and/or activity of this pump in multiple tissues. Here, we tested this hypothesis by measuring activity and thermal sensitivity of the Na+/K+-ATPase at the tagma-specific level (head, thorax and abdomen) in warm- (25 °C) and cold-acclimated (15 °C) flies by measuring Na+/K+-ATPase activity at 15, 20, and 25 °C. We relate differences in pump activity to differences in chill coma temperature, spreading depolarization temperature, and thermal dependence of muscle cell polarization. Differences in pump activity and thermal sensitivity induced by cold acclimation varied in a tissue-specific manner: While thermal sensitivity remained unchanged, cold-acclimated flies had decreased Na+/K+-ATPase activity in the thorax (mainly muscle) and head (mainly composed of brain). We argue that these changes may assist in maintenance of K+ homeostasis and membrane potential across muscle membranes, and discuss how reduced Na+/K+-ATPase activity in the brain may counterintuitively help insects delay coma onset in the cold.

Investigation of antibiofilm activity, antibacterial activity, and mechanistic studies of an amphiphilic peptide against Acinetobacter baumannii

Biofilm-producing pathogens, such as Acinetobacter baumannii, have aroused escalating attention. Because these bacteria could secrete mixture with close-knit architecture and complicated components to resist traditional antibiotics. Here, we reported an amphiphilic peptide denoted as zp3 (GIIAGIIIKIKK-NH2), which showed favorable bioactivity against Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 19606 (minimal inhibitory concentration, MIC = 4 μM) and low cytotoxicity to mammalian cells Vero (half maximal inhibitory concentration, IC50 > 100 μM). Importantly, zp3 could inhibit the formation of biofilm at micromole level and eliminate around 50% preformed biofilm at 32 μM after 6 h treatment. This peptide was able to bind with biofilm while maintaining a helical structure in a mimic biofilm-rich environment. In vivo test demonstrated that zp3 rescued 33.3% of larvae after 48 h infection and reduced 1 log live bacteria inside the animal body after 6 h treatment. The bactericidal mode for zp3 was attributed to the combination of influencing ions balance at low concentration and inducing permeability alteration and pore formation on the Acinetobacter baumannii membrane at high concentration. Application on medical textiles also proved that zp3 could perform a good antibacterial activity in practice.

Insight into phytohormonal modulation of defense mechanisms to salt excess in a halophyte and a glycophyte from Asteraceae family

AimsThe aim of this study was to compare the efficiency of three defense mechanisms (ionic balance, osmotic adjustment and counteracting oxidative stress) under low, moderate and high soil salinity in two related species of contrasting tolerance to salinity: the halophyte Aster tripolium and the glycophyte Aster alpinus, and to elucidate their phytohormone-mediated regulation.MethodsThe phytohormonal profiling was performed to asses correlations between the pool of plant growth regulators and parameters depicting ionic homeostasis, osmotic adjustment and antioxidant system.ResultsDefense mechanisms in both species were based on accumulation/activity of distinct compounds (Na+ and K+ ions, antioxidants), but differences among species concerned particularly soluble carbohydrates and betaines. The halophyte accumulated mannitol, uronic acids and sucrose, while the glycophyte mostly glucose and proline-betaine. The halophyte responses also correlated with changes in the content of plant growth promoting PGRs, as well as jasmonates and benzoic acid. The glycophyte responses corresponded with changes in content of abscisic acid and ethylene precursor, as well as salicylic acid.ConclusionsWe provided evidence that benzoic acid rather than salicylic acid is involved in salt tolerance in the halophyte and elevated SA content may enhance vulnerability to salt excess. An important element of tolerance trait is also JA-GA network that influences the intensity of defense responses. This study uncovers new aspects of internal phytohormonal regulation of plant reaction to soil salinity and enables further insight into extremophyte biology.

Intensive monitoring of sludge filterability of a pilot-scale membrane bioreactor treating municipal wastewater for better interpretation of fouling

In this study, a pilot-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR) treating municipal wastewater was operated over 600 d. Intensive monitoring of sludge filterability with high frequency, which is rarely reported in previous studies, was performed. Detailed information on sludge filterability obtained in this study makes the advanced interpretation of membrane fouling possible and allows to take effective countermeasures. Two methods (batch membrane filtration and measurement of capillary suction time (CST)) were used to assess sludge filterability, which significantly varies during the long-term operation. Although these two methods generated similar data, the CST measurement is easier than batch-filtration and is therefore recommended for intensive monitoring of sludge filterability in MBRs. Using the data obtained in this study, the evolution of reversible and irreversible fouling was distinguished. The importance of separately assessing the impact of colloidal matter on sludge filterability was also demonstrated: colloidal matter caused the deterioration of sludge filterability. To detect such impacts, the frequency of the assessment should be sufficiently high. A new method (modification of CST measurement) proposed in this study could be used for such frequent assessments. Temperature in the reactor and ion balance in raw wastewater were identified as key factors in the deterioration of sludge filterability. A specific fraction of polysaccharides (lipopolysaccharides) exhibited a significant correlation with the deterioration of sludge filterability. This study can provide important information for the operation and maintenance of large-scale MBRs treating municipal wastewater.

Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Ameliorates Salinity Stress in Pea (Pisum sativum)

Pea is an important legume vegetable crop which is an essential component of human nutrition. Salinity impedes plant growth and productivity of legume crops by disrupting the ionic and osmotic balance and hormonal regulation. The present study was aimed to examine the potential of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) strains IG 2 (Acinetobacter bereziniae), IG 10 (Enterobacter ludwigii), and IG 27 (Alcaligenes faecalis) in mitigating salinity stress (75 mM and 150 mM NaCl) in pea. Overall the PGPR inoculation (IG 2, IG 10, and IG 27) improved the growth parameters of pea seedling under salinity stress, but PGPR strain IG 27 had better performance than the other two PGPR strains, i.e., IG 10 and IG 2. Similarly, PGPR inoculation modulated the biochemical parameters such as chlorophyll content, proline content, total soluble sugar, electrolyte leakage, and activities of antioxidant enzymes for alleviation of salt stress. Moreover, PGPR-inoculated plants demonstrated lower levels of electrolyte leakage and H2O2 content under saline conditions in relation to un-inoculated pea seedlings. Additionally, PGPR inoculation of pea plant in field trials with 100 mM NaCl stress exhibited enhanced plant growth and yield. Taken together, our findings suggest the beneficial role of PGPR in alleviating the detrimental effect of salinity on pea seedling growth and yield, further could be used as bio-inoculants to improve crop productivity in saline environment.

Analysis of the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of oregano (Origanum vulgare): a review study on the main effects on pathogens

Western medicine has been trying to use natural means for the treatment of infections caused by bacteria, in this context, it is very noticeable the great interest of therapeutic agents coming from natural products, more specifically those derived from plants. In this sense, a review of the integrative literature on the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of oregano has been carried out. For this review of integrative literature 24 scientific articles were used. The studies showed that the essential oil of Origanum vulgare L. (Lamiaceae) has been used as an element of scientific research in laboratories as an antimicrobial strategy against innumerable types of bacteria, where its high therapeutic and antimicrobial content has been proven. The essential oil of O. vulgare exposes a variable range of active compounds, being the monoterpenes carvacrol and thymol the majority compounds of this essential oil, which corresponds between 80,2 and 98% of the total composition of this essential oil. In view of this, the results that were described in this review could suggest that the compounds cited have antimicrobial activity, damaging the lipidic plasma membranes, compromising the pH homeostasis and the balance of organic ions, preventing cell division and causing dehydration in bacterial cells.

Measuring enzyme activities in crude homogenates: Na+/K+-ATPase as a case study in optimizing assays

In this review of assays of Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA), we explore the choices made by researchers assaying the enzyme to investigate its role in physiological regulation. We survey NKA structure and function in the context of how it is typically assayed, and how technical choices influence what can be said about the enzyme. In comparing different methods for extraction and assay of NKA, we identified a series of common pitfalls that compromise the veracity of results. We include experimental work to directly demonstrate how choices in detergents, salts and substrates influence NKA activities measured in crude homogenates. Our review of assay approaches integrates what is known from enzymology, biomedical physiology, cell biology and evolutionary biology, offering a more robust method for assaying the enzyme in meaningful ways, identifying caveats and future directions to explore its structure and function. The goal is to provide the sort of background on the enzyme that should be considered in exploring the function of the enzyme in comparative physiology.

Melatonin alleviates NaCl-induced damage by regulating ionic homeostasis, antioxidant system, redox homeostasis, and expression of steviol glycosides-related biosynthetic genes in in vitro cultured Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni

Melatonin has been shown to play a variety of roles in regulating plant growth and response to various abiotic stresses, but its main function remains unclear in response to NaCl toxicity. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of melatonin (0, 5, 10, and 20 μM) on growth, photosynthetic pigments, compatible solutes, ionic homeostasis, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, the content of steviol glycosides, and expression of kaurenoic acid hydroxylase (KAH) and uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferase (UGTs) genes in stevia under 25 mM NaCl in in vitro culture. The results showed that in the presence of 25 mM NaCl, melatonin at 5 and 10 μM improved growth parameters, photosynthetic pigments, proline, and soluble sugar contents and reduced electrolyte leakage in stevia leaves. Interestingly, melatonin (5 and 10 μM) reduced the accumulation of malondialdehyde and the level of ROS by improving the redox state of the ascorbate-glutathione cycle and the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Additionally, melatonin decreased the accumulation of Cl and Na and improved the accumulation of K, N, Ca, and P, thus maintaining the ionic balance in leaves under NaCl toxicity. Melatonin increased the accumulation of rebaudioside A and stevioside in the leaves under salinity by upregulating the expression level of KAH and UGTs genes. However, high concentrations of melatonin (20 μM) exacerbated the negative effects of salinity and further reduced stevia growth under salinity. Therefore, the current study indicates the protective role of melatonin in the appropriate concentration in stevia against NaCl toxicity in in vitro conditions.

Effect of saline irrigation on plant water traits, photosynthesis and ionic balance in durum wheat genotypes.

In the era of climate change, decreased precipitation and increased evapo-transpiration hampers the yield of several cereal crops along with the soil salinity and poor ground water resource. Wheat being the moderately tolerant crop face many challenges in the arid and semi-arid regions under irrigated agriculture. In view of this, the study was planned to explore the potential of durum wheat genotypes under salinity on the basis of physiological traits. Experiment was designed as RBD in three replications to evaluate 15 wheat genotypes with moderate saline irrigation (ECiw – 6 dS m−1) and extreme saline irrigation (ECiw – 10 dS m−1) along with one set of control (Best available water). Different physiological traits such as water potential (ψp), osmotic potential (ψs), relative water content (RWC), Na+ and K+ content were recorded in roots as well as shoots at the reproductive stage whereas photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll content were measured in the flag leaves. A significant variability (p < 0.001) was noted among the genotypes under different stress environments and it was observed that durum genotype HI 8728 and HI 8737 showed less reduction in plant water traits (RWC, ψp and ψs) than the salinity tolerant checks of bread wheat KRL 99 and KRL 3–4. HD 4728 and HI 8708 maintained higher photosynthetic rate as well as higher chlorophyll content under the extreme salinity level of ECiw – 10 dSm−1. No significant differences were found in root Na+ in genotypes KRL 99 (3.17g), KRL 3–4 (3.34g) and HI 8737 (3.41g) while in shoots, lowest accumulation was seen in KRL 99, MACS 3949 and KRL 3–4 at ECiw – 10 dSm−1. The mean range of K+ content was 7.60–9.74% in roots and 4.21–6.61% in shoots under control environment which decreased to 50.77% in roots and 46.05% in shoots under extreme salinity condition of ECiw – 10 dSm−1. At ECiw – 10 dSm−1, KRL 99 maintained highest K+/Na+ in both root and shoot followed by KRL 3–4, HI 8737, MACS 3949, HD 4728 in roots and MACS 3949, KRL 3–4, MACS 4020, HD 4758, MACS 3972 and HI 8713 in shoots. The differential response of durum wheat genotypes under salinity particularly for physiological traits, confer their adaptability towards stress environments and exhibit their potential as genetic sources in breeding programs for improving salt stress tolerance.