RBOH1-dependent H2O2 mediates spermine-induced antioxidant enzyme system to enhance tomato seedling tolerance to salinity–alkalinity stress

• Published in: Plant physiology and biochemistry 2021-07, Vol.164, p.237-246
• Main Authors: Xu, Jiwen, Kang, Zhen, Zhu, Keyu, Zhao, Dingkang, Yuan, Yajing, Yang, Shichun, Zhen, Wentian, Hu, Xiaohui
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: H2O2; Redox homeostasis; Salinity–alkalinity stress; Spermine; Tomato seedling
• ISSN: 0981-9428; 1873-2690
• DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2021.04.017

Salinity–alkalinity stress is a limiting factor in tomato production in the world. Plants perceive salinity–alkalinity stress by activating signaling pathways to increase plant tolerance (Xu et al., 2020). Here, we investigated whether spermine (Spm) induces respiratory burst oxidase homolog 1 (RBOH1) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) signaling in response to salinity–alkalinity stress in tomato. The results showed that exogenous Spm induced the expression of RBOH1 and the accumulation of H2O2 under normal condition. Accordingly, we tested the function of H2O2 signal in tomato seedlings and found that exogenous H2O2 increased the expression levels of Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD), catalase 1 (CAT1), cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase (cAPX), and glutathione reductase 1 (GR1) and the activities of SOD (EC 1.15.1.1), CAT (EC 1.11.1.6), ascorbate peroxidase (APX; EC 1.11.1.11), and GR (EC 1.6.4.2) in tomato seedlings under salinity–alkalinity stress. DMTU increased the malondialdehyde (MDA) content and relative electrical conductivity, and the relative water content (RWC), and accelerated leaf yellowing in tomato seedlings under salinity–alkalinity stress, even though we sprayed Spm on tomato leaves. We also found that RBOH1 silencing decreased the expression levels of Cu/Zn-SOD, CAT1, cAPX, and GR1 and the activities of SOD, CAT, APX, and GR when tomato seedlings were under salinity–alkalinity stress. Exogenous Spm did not increase RWC and decrease MDA content in RBOH1 silencing tomato seedlings under salinity–alkalinity stress. •Exogenous spermine (Spm) increased the accumulation of H2O2.•Exogenous H2O2 maintained redox homeostasis in tomato seedlings under salinity–alkalinity toxicity.•RBOH1 silencing in tomato seedlings decreased the activity of antioxidant enzymes under salinity–alkalinity stress.•Exogenous Spm did not restore the ability of RBOH1 silencing tomato seedlings to adopt salinity–alkalinity stress.