Survival of mangrove seedlings under flooding depends on their tolerance and adaptation. This study investigated the effects of flooding on rhizosphere conditions: porewater dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, and soil oxidation–reduction potential (ORP) and photosynthetic and antioxidant activities (superoxide dismutase [SOD] and guaiacol peroxidase [POX] activity and glutathione [GSH] content) of Rhizophora mucronata seedlings. The experiment lasted 20 days with three treatments: control (with drainage), waterlogging (10 cm of water above the soil surface) and submergence. Our results demonstrate that waterlogging and submergence resulted in a reduction in porewater DO, pH and soil ORP from day 5 into the treatment. Submergence resulted in lower maximum electron transport rates, lower saturating irradiance and higher light utilization efficiency from day 5 onwards, but stomatal closure was detected in both flooded treatments. POX activity and GSH content in the roots were increased by submergence. On day 5, submerged plants showed higher root POX activity than the other two treatments and higher root GSH content than controls. However, these parameters decreased on day 20, so that no difference among the treatments remained. As persistent flooding was shown to hamper the physiological performance of mangrove seedlings, extreme weather events and sea-level rise should be closely monitored.
This study investigated photosynthetic and oxidative stress-related responses to moderate (500 μmol photons m−2 s−1) and high irradiances (1500 μmol photons m−2 s−1) in two tropical intertidal seagrasses, Halophila ovalis and Thalassia hemprichii. Exposure to high irradiance for 3 h resulted in a large decline in the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) and in the effective quantum yield of photosystem II (ΦPSII) but induced non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) and chloroplast clumping in H. ovalis. Thalassia hemprichii, however, showed only a minor decrease in Fv/Fm and ΦPSII, and no change in either NPQ or the intracellular arrangement of chloroplasts. The irradiance did not affect reactive oxygen species (ROS) or superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in either seagrass, whereas high irradiance enhanced ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity in H. ovalis. The results from a subsequent experiment using an oxidative stress inducer, methyl viologen (MV), also showed a higher degree of Fv/Fm inhibition in H. ovalis. These results show that H. ovalis is much more physiologically responsive to high irradiances and oxidative stress than T. hemprichii and that its photoprotective mechanisms involve NPQ, APX and reduction of the amount of light absorbed through the clumping of its chloroplasts.
Mangrove seedlings are subject to natural tidal inundation, while occasional flooding may lead to complete submergence. Complete submergence reduces light availability and limits gas exchange, affecting several plant metabolic processes. The present study focuses on Rhizophora mucronata, a common mangrove species found along the coasts of Thailand and the Malay Peninsula.• To reveal response mechanisms of R. mucronata seedlings to submergence, a physiological investigation coupled with proteomic analyses of leaf and root tissues was carried out in plants subjected to 20 days of control (drained) or submerged conditions.• Submerged seedlings showed decreased photosynthetic activity, lower stomatal conductance, higher total antioxidant capacity in leaves and higher lipid peroxidation in roots than control plants. At the same time, tissue nutrient ion content displayed organ-specific responses. Proteome analysis revealed a significant change in 240 proteins in the leaves and 212 proteins in the roots. In leaves, most differentially accumulated proteins (DAPs) are associated with nucleic acids, stress response, protein transport, signal transduction, development and photosynthesis. In roots, most DAPs are associated with protein metabolic process, response to abiotic stimulus, nucleic acid metabolism and transport.• Our study provides a comprehensive understanding of submergence responses in R. mucronata seedlings. The results suggest that submergence induced multifaceted stresses related to light limitation, oxidative stress and osmotic stress, but the responses are organ specific. The results revealed many candidate proteins which may be essential for survival of R. mucronata under prolonged submergence.
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