Application of exogenous xyloglucan oligosaccharides affects molecular responses to salt stress in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings

• Published in: Journal of soil science and plant nutrition Vol. 18; no. ahead; pp. 1187 - 1205
• Main Authors: González-Pérez, Lien, Páez-Watson, Timothy, Álvarez-Suarez, José M., Obando-Rojas, Mayra C., Bonifaz-Arcos, Edison, Viteri, Gabriela, Rivas-Romero, Fernando, Tejera, Eduardo, Rogers, Hilary J., Cabrera, Juan C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Chilean Society of Soil Science / Sociedad Chilena de la Ciencia del Suelo 01.12.2018
• Subjects: SOIL SCIENCE; Arabidopsis thaliana; xyloglucan oligosaccharides; salinity stress; antioxidative response
• ISSN: 0718-9516; 0718-9516
• DOI: 10.4067/S0718-95162018005003301

Abstract Soil salinity is one of the most devastating problems which reduces crop production and increases desertification. New approaches to overcome the negative effect of salinity on plants include the use of plant biostimulants, such as Xyloglucan oligosaccharides (XGOs) derived from the breakdown of xyloglucans from plant cell walls. The present study aimed at verifying the influence of exogenous XGOs derived from Tamarindus indica L. cell walls, on Arabidopsis thaliana’s tolerance to salt stress by understanding the gene expression, enzymatic and metabolic changes resulting from its application. A. thaliana plants were grown in liquid media and after 15 days they were treated by a salt shock with 100 mM of sodium chloride, with or without XGOs at 0.1 mg L-1. Gene expression of four oxidative stress markers as well as catalase and peroxidase activities and content of glutathione, total carbonyl, polyphenolics and chlorophyll were quantified. Bioinformatic models were used to obtain the co-expression network of the four oxidative stress response gene markers from microarray data of Arabidopsis under salt stress. Results showed that in saline conditions, XGOs dramatically increased catalase gene expression and enzymatic activity, peroxidase activity, and chlorophyll a/b ratio, while reducing protein oxidation and total polyphenols. Thus, XGOs may act to counteract negative effects of oxidative stress under saline conditions.