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Anatomical changes to protect organelle integrity account for tolerance to alkali and salt stresses in Melilotus officinalis

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Abstract

Background and aims

The adaptation mechanism of Melilotus officinalis was studied to understand this species’ mechanisms.

Methods

Seedlings of Melilotus officinalis were treated with different NaHCO3 levels, with the control plants being grown without NaHCO3. Anatomical structure of three organs and ultrastruture of two organelles widespread were observed by making paraffin and ultrathin sections.

Results

The results showed that NaHCO3 treatments significantly affected vascular system of Melilotus officinalis. Vascular tissue throughout the roots, stems and leaflets underwent changes. Particularly, the diameter of xylem vessels declined significantly, which greatly limited the transportation and transverse diffusion of water; the cross section of stems was changed from near quadrangle to irregular shape, which increased the surface area of the stems and furthered the ability of photosynthesis; epidermis cell walls cutinization occurred and the diameter of xylem vessel decreased greatly, which reduced water loss through stomata and non-stomata cells. In spite of these dramatic morphological changes, organelles in cells, both chloroplast in stems and leaflets and mitochondria in roots, had minor changes. Particularly, thylakoid in chloroplast and cristae in mitochondria still had intact membrane system and sharp-edged laminated structure.

Conclusions

Vascular tissue, the cross section of stems, cell walls of epidermis and mesophyll cell all underwent changes in Melilotus officinalis under NaHCO3 stress. While organelles in cells had minor changes. Maybe structural integrity of organelle was protected by active morphological change of tissues and cells in Melilotus officinalis.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by The Innovation Fund of Gansu Agricultural University. The authors thank Prof. ZZ Cao (Gansu Agricultural University) for providing the seeds of Melilotus officinalis, Prof. ZN Nie (Department of Environment and Primary Industries Victoria, Australia, and Gansu Agricultural University) for his critical reading and comments on this paper. YM Zhang would like to thank her colleague LX Chen and YY He for making semi-thin section and ultrathin section.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instrumental Research & Analysis Center, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China

    Yong-mei Zhang & Jin-mei Wei

  2. Pratacultural College, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China

    Hui-ling Ma, Chen-xia Tian & Xiao-ming Bai

  3. Department of Biology, California State University, Fresno, U.S.A.

    Alejandro Calderón-Urrea

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  1. Yong-mei Zhang
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Correspondence to Hui-ling Ma.

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This study was funded by The Innovation Fund of Gansu Agricultural University.

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Responsible Editor: Frans J.M Maathuis.

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Zhang, Ym., Ma, Hl., Calderón-Urrea, A. et al. Anatomical changes to protect organelle integrity account for tolerance to alkali and salt stresses in Melilotus officinalis . Plant Soil 406, 327–340 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-2875-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-2875-4

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