Biologia plantarum 2016, 60:123-131 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0559-1

Exogenous gamma-aminobutyric acid increases salt tolerance of wheat by improving photosynthesis and enhancing activities of antioxidant enzymes

M. F. Li1, S. J. Guo1, X. H. Yang2, Q. W. Meng2, X. J. Wei1
1 College of Life Science, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, P.R. China
2 College of Life Science, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, P.R. China

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a non-protein amino acid that accumulates in a number of plant species under various environmental stresses. In this paper, the ability of applied GABA for the alleviation of NaCl stress was investigated in view of growth parameters, gas exchange, photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll fluorescence, activities of antioxidant enzymes, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and electrolyte conductivity (REC) in wheat seedlings. Germination rate and shoot dry mass decreased with an increasing NaCl concentration and this decrease was less pronounced when 0.5 mM GABA was applied. In the NaCl-treated seedlings, exogenous GABA partially enhanced photosynthetic capacity and antioxidant enzyme activities and decreased MDA content and REC. Therefore, GABA reduced the impact of salinity on the wheat seedlings.

Keywords: catalase; electrolyte leakage; lipid peroxidation; malondialdehyde; superoxide dismutase; Triticum aestivum
Subjects: GABA; salt tolerance; antioxidants; catalase; electrolyte leakage; malondialdehyde; superoxide dismutase; net photosynthetic rate; transpiration rate; stomatal conductance; chlorophyll a fluorescence; water use efficiency; carotenoids; chlorophyll; dwarf Polish wheat
Species: Triticum aestivum

Published: January 1, 2016Show citation

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Li, M.F., Guo, S.J., Yang, X.H., Meng, Q.W., & Wei, X.J. (2016). Exogenous gamma-aminobutyric acid increases salt tolerance of wheat by improving photosynthesis and enhancing activities of antioxidant enzymes. Biologia plantarum, 60(1), 123-131. doi: 10.1007/s10535-015-0559-1.
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