Exogenous choline chloride alleviates the reduction in photosynthesis and ROS pathways induced by cadmium stress in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) plants
摘要
Choline chloride (CC), as a plant growth regulator, which has no secondary pollution to the soil environment, plays an important role in defense systems of plants under stress conditions. A lack of knowledge exists about the physiological and biochemical mechanisms involved in enhancing cadmium (Cd) stress tolerance of okra plants through the use of CC. In this study, the application of 3 mM CC, 5 mM diphenyleneiodonium (a NADPH oxidase inhibitor, DPI), and their combination to okra plants under 0.1 mM CdCl2 stress significantly improved biomass accumulation in pot-planting experiments. In contrast, okra plants not treated with CC did not survive. According to stress resistance related component analysis, okra plants after CC treatment showed a significant increase in photosynthetic pigments and antioxidants, such as glutathione (GSH) and ascorbic acid (AsA) and a significant decrease in oxidative stress indicators, such as hydrogen peroxide, superoxide radicals, malondialdehyde content and electrolyte leakage rates. During CdCl2 stress, the CC-treatment okra plants showed a remarkable increase in the activities of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, glutathione reductase, ascorbate peroxidase and peroxidase. As a result, there was a marked reduction in the content of oxidative stress indicators and a significant increase in the component of antioxidants in the ASA-GSH cycle in CC-okra, DPI-okra and CC + DPI-okra plants under CdCl2 stress. The results demonstrate that exogenous CC significantly improved photosynthetic pigment content and antioxidant enzyme activity while reducing ROS accumulation and membrane damage, thus enhancing Cd tolerance in okra.