Understanding the response of a crop to drought is the first step in the breeding of tolerant genotypes. In our study, two maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes with contrasting sensitivity to dehydration were subjected to moderate drought conditions. The subsequent analysis of their physiological parameters revealed a decreased stomatal conductance accompanied by a slighter decrease in the relative water content in the sensitive genotype. In contrast, the tolerant genotype maintained open stomata and active photosynthesis, even under dehydration conditions. Drought-induced changes in the leaf proteome were analyzed by two independent approaches, 2D gel electrophoresis and iTRAQ analysis, which provided compatible but only partially overlapping results. Drought caused the up-regulation of protective and stress-related proteins (mainly chaperones and dehydrins) in both genotypes. The differences in the levels of various detoxification proteins corresponded well with the observed changes in the activities of antioxidant enzymes. The number and levels of up-regulated protective proteins were generally lower in the sensitive genotype, implying a reduced level of proteosynthesis, which was also indicated by specific changes in the components of the translation machinery. Based on these results, we propose that the hypersensitive early stomatal closure in the sensitive genotype leads to the inhibition of photosynthesis and, subsequently, to a less efficient synthesis of the protective/detoxification proteins that are associated with drought tolerance.

This study monitors the effect of salt stress induced by a NaCl solution (0 – deionized water, 50, 100, 200, 300 mmol/L) in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. cv. Orion), New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia tetragonoides (Pall) Kuntze) and common purslane (Portulaca oleracea L. cv. Green Purslane) over the course of 50 days. The diverse reactions of these monitored species to salt stress are well apparent from the results. Lettuce proved as the most sensitive to salt stress, showing a significant reduction of dry weight, where even lower concentrations of salt affected membrane stability through increased electrolyte leakage value and an imbalance in the content of Na⁺ and K⁺, observed in the form of lower ratios of K⁺/Na⁺. In case of T. tetragonoides, lower salt concentrations positively affected growth and this species appears to particularly accumulate sodium. In case of P. oleracea no significant reduction of dry weight took place with the increasing concentration of NaCl and a naturally high content of potassium contributed to maintaining a favourable ratio of K⁺/Na⁺ even at higher salt concentrations, which is one of the prerequisites of salt-stress tolerance.

A comparative analysis of various parameters that characterize plant morphology, growth, water status, photosynthesis, cell damage, and antioxidative and osmoprotective systems together with an iTRAQ analysis of the leaf proteome was performed in two inbred lines of maize (Zea mays L.) differing in drought susceptibility and their reciprocal F1 hybrids. The aim of this study was to dissect the parent-hybrid relationships to better understand the mechanisms of the heterotic effect and its potential association with the stress response. The results clearly showed that the four examined genotypes have completely different strategies for coping with limited water availability and that the inherent properties of the F1 hybrids, i.e. positive heterosis in morphological parameters (or, more generally, a larger plant body) becomes a distinct disadvantage when the water supply is limited. However, although a greater loss of photosynthetic efficiency was an inherent disadvantage, the precise causes and consequences of the original predisposition towards faster growth and biomass accumulation differed even between reciprocal hybrids. Both maternal and paternal parents could be imitated by their progeny in some aspects of the drought response (e.g., the absence of general protein down-regulation, changes in the levels of some carbon fixation or other photosynthetic proteins). Nevertheless, other features (e.g., dehydrin or light-harvesting protein contents, reduced chloroplast proteosynthesis) were quite unique to a particular hybrid. Our study also confirmed that the strategy for leaving stomata open even when the water supply is limited (coupled to a smaller body size and some other physiological properties), observed in one of our inbred lines, is associated with drought-resistance not only during mild drought (as we showed previously) but also during more severe drought conditions.

In this investigation, the effect of salt stress on Portulaca oleracea L. was monitored at salinity levels of 100 and 300 mM NaCl. At a concentration of 100 mM NaCl there was a decrease in stomatal conductance (gs) simultaneously with an increase in CO2 assimilation (A) at the beginning of salt exposure (day 3). However, the leaf water potential (ψw), the substomatal concentration of CO2 (Ci), the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm), and the proline and malondialdehyde (MDA) content remained unchanged. Exposure to 300 mM NaCl caused a decrease in gs from day 3 and a decrease in water potential, CO2 assimilation, and Fv/Fm from day 9. There was a large increase in proline content and a significantly higher MDA concentration on days 6 and 9 of salt stress compared to the control group. After 22 days of exposure to 300 mM NaCl, there was a transition from the C4 cycle to crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), manifested by a rapid increase in substomatal CO2 concentration and negative CO2 assimilation values. These results document the tolerance of P. oleracea to a lower level of salt stress and the possibility of its use in saline localities.

Salinity is one of the significant factors affecting the productivity of plants. Considerable attention is paid to the study of salt stress effects on the physiological symptoms in various types of plants (Munns and Gilliham 2015, Negrão et al. 2017). High salt concentrations decrease the osmotic potential of soil, which decreases the availability of water and disrupts the transport of water and nutrients to plant roots (Munns 2002, Tester andDavenport 2003). Salinity causes both water stress and osmotic stress in plants and the accumulated salt ions have a toxic effect on plants. Water deficit causes a leaf turgor decrease, further causing stomata closure and decreases of stomatal conductance (g s ); one of the factors limiting photosynthesis rates (Chaves et al. 2009). There is also an ion imbalance due to the excessive collection of Na + and Cl -along with decreased absorption of other ions such as K + , Ca 2+ and Mn 2+ (Flowers and Colmer 2008).Photosynthesis is the most significant physiological process and, in all its phases, is affected by stress factors. Ashraf and Harris (2013) state that the mechanism of photosynthesis involves various components, including photosynthetic pigments and photosystems, the electron transport system, and CO 2 reduction pathways. Any damage at any level caused by a stress factor may reduce the overall photosynthetic capacity of a green plant.Rocket, commonly also known as arugula, roquette and rucola (Eruca sativa (L.) Mill.), is an annual species belonging to the mustard family (Brassicaceae), traditionally grown in the Mediterranean region. Thanks to its excellent nutritional properties, it is increasingly becoming important for its content Salinity is a significant environmental factor affecting physiological processes in plants. This study monitors the effect of salt stress induced by the NaCl solution (0 -deionized water; 50, 100, 200, 300 mmol/L) in rocket (Eruca sativa (L.) Mill.) cv. Astro over the course of 50 days. Salt stress significantly affected the monitored parameters. The osmotic potential decreased with increasing NaCl concentrations, while relative water content decrease did not take place until 200 mmol/L NaCl. Compared to the control group, transpiration (E) decreased at the concentration of 50 mmol/L NaCl and stomatal conductance (g s ) and net photosynthetic rate (P n ) decreased at 100 mmol/L NaCl. Further increase of salt concentrations did not affect P n and no significant differences g s , E and substomatal concentration CO 2 were measured between the concentrations of 200 and 300 mmol/L NaCl. A decrease of F v /F m took place from the concentration of 100 mmol/L NaCl, while differences between 200 and 300 mmol/L NaCl were also not significant. The obtained results therefore prove the tolerance of the E. sativa cv. Astro to salt stress. Effects of salt stress on water status, photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence of rocket

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The response of selected photosynthetic and morphological parameters of plants to drought was examined in 5 inbred lines of maize (Zea mays L.) and their 10 F1 hybrids. The aim of the study was to establish whether the photosynthetic performance of parental genotypes under drought conditions correlates with the performance of their progeny and whether the net photosynthetic rate, the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters or the content of photosynthetic pigments could be used as reliable physiological markers for early breeding generations. The relative importance of the additive and the nonadditive (dominance, maternal) genetic effects in the inheritance of these parameters was also assessed by means of the quantitative genetics analysis. The results showed that the nonadditive genetic effects associated with a particular combination of genotypes or a particular direction of crossing are at least equally and often even more important as the additivity and that these genetic effects almost totally change with the exposure of plants to drought conditions. This was reflected in the inability to predict the response of F1 hybrids to drought on the basis of the photosynthetic performance of their parents, which indicates that the practical usability of such parameters in maize breeding programs is rather limited.

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