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Exogenous nitric oxide improves sugarcane growth and photosynthesis under water deficit

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Abstract

Main conclusion

Nitric oxide (NO)-mediated redox signaling plays a role in alleviating the negative impact of water stress in sugarcane plants by improving root growth and photosynthesis.

Drought is an environmental limitation affecting sugarcane growth and yield. The redox-active molecule nitric oxide (NO) is known to modulate plant responses to stressful conditions. NO may react with glutathione (GSH) to form S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), which is considered the main reservoir of NO in cells. Here, we investigate the role of NO in alleviating the effects of water deficit on growth and photosynthesis of sugarcane plants. Well-hydrated plants were compared to plants under drought and sprayed with mock (water) or GSNO at concentrations ranging from 10 to 1000 μM. Leaf GSNO sprayed plants showed significant improvement of relative water content and leaf and root dry matter under drought compared to mock-sprayed plants. Additionally, plants sprayed with GSNO (≥ 100 μM) showed higher leaf gas exchange and photochemical activity as compared to mock-sprayed plants under water deficit and after rehydration. Surprisingly, a raise in the total S-nitrosothiols content was observed in leaves sprayed with GSH or GSNO, suggesting a long-term role of NO-mediated responses to water deficit. Experiments with leaf discs fumigated with NO gas also suggested a role of NO in drought tolerance of sugarcane plants. Overall, our data indicate that the NO-mediated redox signaling plays a role in alleviating the negative effects of water stress in sugarcane plants by protecting the photosynthetic apparatus and improving shoot and root growth.

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Abbreviations

A :

Leaf CO2 assimilation

C i :

Intercellular CO2 concentration

ETR:

Apparent electron transport rate

F V/F M :

Maximum quantum efficiency of PSII

g s :

Stomatal conductance

GSH:

Glutathione

GSNO:

S-Nitrosoglutathione

k :

Instantaneous carboxylation efficiency

LDM:

Leaf dry mass

NO:

Nitric oxide

NPQ:

Non-photochemical quenching

PEG:

Polyethylene glycol

PPFD:

Photosynthetic photon flux density

PSII:

Photosystem II

RDM:

Root dry mass

RWC:

Relative water content

RSNO:

S-Nitrosothiol

WD:

Water deficit

ϕ PSII :

Effective quantum efficiency of PSII

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial support (BIOEN Program, Grant no. 2008/57519-2) provided by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP, Brazil) as well as the scholarships to NMS and MTP (Grant no. 2012/19167-0 and 2015/00393-8). LF is a European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)—Long Term Fellow (no. 420/2015). The authors also acknowledge the fellowships (ABS; IS; ECM; RVR) and scholarships (FCCM and MTM) granted by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq, Brazil).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Plant Physiology “Coaracy M. Franco”, Center R&D in Ecophysiology and Biophysics, Agronomic Institute (IAC), Campinas, SP, Brazil

    Neidiquele M. Silveira & Eduardo C. Machado

  2. Department of Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil

    Lucas Frungillo, Fernanda C. C. Marcos, Marcela T. Miranda, Ione Salgado & Rafael V. Ribeiro

  3. School of Biological Sciences, Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

    Lucas Frungillo

  4. Department of Exact and Earth Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), Diadema, SP, Brazil

    Milena T. Pelegrino & Amedea B. Seabra

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  1. Neidiquele M. Silveira
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  2. Lucas Frungillo
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  3. Fernanda C. C. Marcos
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  4. Milena T. Pelegrino
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  5. Marcela T. Miranda
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  6. Amedea B. Seabra
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  7. Ione Salgado
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  9. Rafael V. Ribeiro
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Correspondence to Rafael V. Ribeiro.

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Silveira, N.M., Frungillo, L., Marcos, F.C.C. et al. Exogenous nitric oxide improves sugarcane growth and photosynthesis under water deficit. Planta 244, 181–190 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-016-2501-y

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