Please wait a minute...
Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2018, Vol. 17 Issue (10): 2151-2159    DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(18)62038-6
Special Focus: Beneficial roles silicon plays in agriculture Advanced Online Publication | Current Issue | Archive | Adv Search |
Beneficial effects of silicon on photosynthesis of tomato seedlings under water stress
ZHANG Yi1*, SHI Yu1*, GONG Hai-jun2, ZHAO Hai-liang1, LI Huan-li2, HU Yan-hong2, WANG Yi-chao2 
 
 
1 College of Horticulture, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, P.R.China
2 College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, P.R.China
 
Download:  PDF (930KB) ( )  
Export:  BibTeX | EndNote (RIS)      
Abstract  Silicon can improve drought tolerance of plants, but the mechanism still remains unclear.  Previous studies have mainly concentrated on silicon-accumulating plants, whereas less work has been conducted in silicon-excluding plants, such as tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.).  In this study, we investigated the effects of exogenous silicon (2.5 mmol L–1) on the chlorophyll fluorescence and expression of photosynthesis-related genes in tomato seedlings (Zhongza 9) under water stress induced by 10% (w/v) polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000).  The results showed that under water stress, the growth of shoot and root was inhibited, and the chlorophyll and carotenoid concentrations were decreased, while silicon addition improved the plant growth and increased the concentrations of chlorophyll and carotenoid.  Under water sterss, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters such as PSII maximum photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), effective quantum efficiency, actual photochemical quantum efficiency (ФPSII), photosynthetic electron transport rate (ETR), and photochemical quenching coefficient (qP) were decreased; while these changes were reversed in the presence of added silicon.  The expressions of some photosynthesis-related genes including PetE, PetF, PsbP, PsbQ, PsbW, and Psb28 were down-regulated under water stress, and exogenous Si could partially up-regulate their expressions.  These results suggest that silicon plays a role in the alleviation of water stress by modulating some photosynthesis-related genes and regulating the photochemical process, and thus promoting photosynthesis.
 
 
Keywords:  tomato        water stress        silicon        photosynthesis  
Received: 12 March 2018   Accepted:
Fund: The study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31501750, 31501807, 31471866, 31772290).
Corresponding Authors:  Correspondence SHI Yu, Mobile: +86-18235419551, E-mail: ayu-shi@163.com    
About author:  ZHANG Yi, Mobile: +86-18404969601, E-mail: harmony1228 @163.com; * These authors contributed equally to this study.

Cite this article: 

ZHANG Yi, SHI Yu, GONG Hai-jun, ZHAO Hai-liang, LI Huan-li, HU Yan-hong, WANG Yi-chao. 2018. Beneficial effects of silicon on photosynthesis of tomato seedlings under water stress. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 17(10): 2151-2159.

Adrees M, Ali S, Rizwan M, Zia-Ur-Rehman M, Ibrahim M, Abbas F, Farid M, Qayyum M F, Irshad M K. 2015. Mechanisms of silicon-mediated alleviation of heavy metal toxicity in plants: A review. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 119, 186–197.
Agarie S, Uchida H, Agata W, Kubota F, Kaufman P B. 1998. Effects of silicon on transpiration and leaf conductance in rice plants (Oryza sativa L.). Plant Production Science, 1, 89–95.
Al-aghabary K, Zhu Z J, Shi Q H. 2005. Influence of silicon supply on chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence, and antioxidative enzyme activities in tomato plants under salt stress. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 27, 2101–2115.
Balakhnina T, Borkowska A. 2013. Effects of silicon on plant resistance to environmental stresses: Review. International Agrophysics, 27, 225–232.
Bergougnoux V. 2014. The history of tomato: From domestication to biopharming. Biotechnology Advances, 32, 170–189.
Biswal A K, Pattanayak G K, Pandey S S, Leelavathi S, Reddy V S, Tripathy B C. 2012. Light intensity-dependent modulation of chlorophyll b biosynthesis and photosynthesis by overexpression of chlorophyllide a oxygenase in tobacco. Plant Physiology, 159, 433–449.
Chen W, Yao X Q, Cai K Z, Chen J. 2011. Silicon alleviates drought stress of rice plants by improving plant water status, photosynthesis and mineral nutrient absorption. Biological Trace Element Research, 142, 67–76.
Debona D, Rodrigues F A, Datnoff L E. 2017. Silicon’s role in abiotic and biotic plant stresses. Annual Review of Phytopathology, 55, 85–107.
Etesami H, Jeong B R. 2018. Silicon (Si): Review and future prospects on the action mechanisms in alleviating biotic and abiotic stresses in plants. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 147, 881–896.
Foolad M R, Zhang L P, Subbiah P. 2003. Genetics of drought tolerance during seed germination in tomatoes: Inheritance and QTL mapping. Genome, 46, 536–545.
Gong H J, Chen K M. 2012. The regulatory role of silicon on water relations, photosynthetic gas exchange, and carboxylation activities of wheat leaves in field drought conditions. Acta Physiologiae Plantarum, 34, 1589–1594.
Gong H J, Zhu X Y, Chen K M, Wang S M, Zhang C L. 2005. Silicon alleviates oxidative damage of wheat plants in pots under drought. Plant Science, 169, 313–321.
Gunes A, Pilbeam D J, Inal A, Coban S. 2008. Influence of silicon on sunflower cultivars under drought stress, I: growth, antioxidant mechanisms, and lipid peroxidation. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 39, 1885–1903.
Kalaji hm, Schansker G, Brestic M, Bussotti F, Calatayud A, Ferroni L, Goltsev V, Guidi L, Jajoo A, Li P, Losciale P, Mishra V K, Misra A N, Nebauer S G, Pancaldi S, Penella C, Pollastrini M, Suresh K, Tambussi E, Yanniccari M, et al. 2017. Frequently asked questions about chlorophyll fluorescence, the sequel. Photosynthesis Research, 132, 13–66.
Kaya C, Tuna L, Higgs D. 2006. Effect of silicon on plant growth and mineral nutrition of maize grown under water-stress conditions. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 29, 1469–1480.
Kleiber T, Calomme M, Borowiak K. 2015. The effect of choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid on microelements and silicon concentration, photosynthesis activity and yield of tomato grown under Mn stress. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 96, 180–188.
Lichtenthaler H K, Wellburn A R. 1983. Determinations of total carotenoids and chlorophylls a and b of leaf extracts in different solvents. Biochemical Society Transactions, 11, 591–592.
Liu P, Yin L, Deng X, Wang S, Tanaka K, Zhang S. 2014. Aquaporin-mediated increase in root hydraulic conductance is involved in silicon-induced improved root water uptake under osmotic stress in Sorghum bicolor L. Journal of Experimental Botany, 65, 4747–4756.
Livak K J, Schmittgen T D. 2001. Analysis of relative gene expression data using real time quantitative PCR and the 2–??CT method. Methods, 25, 402–408.
Ming D F, Pei Z F, Naeem M S, Gong H J, Zhou W J. 2012. Silicon alleviates PEG-induced water-deficit stress in upland rice seedlings by enhancing osmotic adjustment. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science, 198, 14–26.
Nikolic M, Nikolic N, Liang Y C, Kirkby E A, Römheld V. 2007. Germanium-68 as an adequate tracer for silicon transport in plants. Characterization of silicon uptake in different crop species. Plant Physiology, 143, 495–503.
Sanglard L M, Martins S C, Detmann K C, Silva P E, Lavinsky A O, Silva M M, Detmann E, Araújo W L, DaMatta F M. 2014. Silicon nutrition alleviates the negative impacts of arsenic on the photosynthetic apparatus of rice leaves: An analysis of the key limitations of photosynthesis. Physiologia Plantarum, 152, 355–366.
Shi Y, Zhang Y, Han W H, Feng R, Hu Y H, Guo J, Gong H J. 2016. Silicon enhances water stress tolerance by improving root hydraulic conductance in Solanum lycopersicum L. Frontiers in Plant Science, 7, 196.
Song A, Li P, Fan F, Li Z, Liang Y. 2014. The effect of silicon on photosynthesis and expression of its relevant genes in rice (Oryza sativa L.) under high-zinc stress. PLoS ONE, 9, e113782.
Sonobe K, Hattori T, An P, Tsuji W, Eneji A E, Kobayashi S, Inanaga S. 2011. Effect of silicon application on sorghum root responses to water stress. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 34, 71–82.
Sun R X, Yang C H. 2012. Structure and function of photosystem II and the environmental response of photosynthetic membrane. Acta Biophysica Sinica, 28, 537–548. (in Chinese)
Wang Y, Cai S, Yin L, Shi K, Xia X, Zhou Y, Yu J, Zhou J. 2015. Tomato HsfA1a plays a critical role in plant drought tolerance by activating ATG genes and inducing autophagy. Autophagy, 11, 2033–2047.
Wang Y, Zhou J, Yu J. 2017. The critical role of autophagy in plant responses to abiotic stresses. Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering, 4, 28–36.
Wang Y H, Han Z M, Han M, Yang L M. 2010. Effects of shading on the growth and photosynthetic characteristics of Clematis manshurica Rupr. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 30, 6762–6770. (in Chinese)
Yang S, Vanderbeld B, Wan J, Huang Y. 2010. Narrowing down the targets: towards successful genetic engineering of drought-tolerant crops. Molecular Plant, 3, 469–490.
Zhu Y X, Gong H J. 2014. Beneficial effects of silicon on salt and drought tolerance in plants. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 34, 455–472.
Zhu Y X, Guo J, Feng R, Jia J H, Han W H, Gong H J. 2016. The regulatory role of silicon on carbohydrate metabolism in Cucumis sativus L. under salt stress. Plant and Soil, 406, 231–249.
[1] ZHAO Jun-yang, LU Hua-ming, QIN Shu-tao, PAN Peng, TANG Shi-de, CHEN Li-hong, WANG Xue-li, TANG Fang-yu, TAN Zheng-long, WEN Rong-hui, HE Bing. Soil conditioners improve Cd-contaminated farmland soil microbial communities to inhibit Cd accumulation in rice[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2023, 22(8): 2521-2535.
[2] Roberta SPANÒ, Mariarosaria MASTROCHIRICO, Francesco LONGOBARDI, Salvatore CERVELLIERI, Vincenzo LIPPOLIS, Tiziana MASCIA. Characterization of volatile organic compounds in grafted tomato plants upon potyvirus necrotic infection[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2023, 22(8): 2426-2440.
[3] XU Yan-xia, ZHANG Jing, WAN Zi-yun, HUANG Shan-xia, DI Hao-chen, HE Ying, JIN Song-heng. Physiological and transcriptome analyses provide new insights into the mechanism mediating the enhanced tolerance of melatonin-treated rhododendron plants to heat stress[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2023, 22(8): 2397-2411.
[4] DU Dan, HU Xin, SONG Xiao-mei, XIA Xiao-jiao, SUN Zhen-yu, LANG Min, PAN Yang-lu, ZHENG Yu, PAN Yu. SlTPP4 participates in ABA-mediated salt tolerance by enhancing root architecture in tomato[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2023, 22(8): 2384-2396.
[5] TU Ke-ling, YIN Yu-lin, YANG Li-ming, WANG Jian-hua, SUN Qun. Discrimination of individual seed viability by using the oxygen consumption technique and headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2023, 22(3): 727-737.
[6] ZHANG Yu-hong, LI Zhi-xin, DU Ya-jie, LI Shi-fang, ZHANG Zhi-xiang. A universal probe for simultaneous detection of six pospiviroids and natural infection of potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) in tomato in China[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2023, 22(3): 790-798.
[7] FENG Xu-yu, PU Jing-xuan, LIU Hai-jun, WANG Dan, LIU Yu-hang, QIAO Shu-ting, LEI Tao, LIU Rong-hao. Effect of fertigation frequency on soil nitrogen distribution and tomato yield under alternate partial root-zone drip irrigation[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2023, 22(3): 897-907.
[8] LIN Hao-wei, WU Zhen, ZHOU Rong, CHEN Bin, ZHONG Zhao-jiang, JIANG Fang-ling.

SlGH9-15 regulates tomato fruit cracking with hormonal and abiotic stress responsiveness cis-elements [J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2023, 22(2): 447-463.

[9] Jelli VENKATESH, Sung Jin KIM, Muhammad Irfan SIDDIQUE, Ju Hyeon KIM, Si Hyeock LEE, Byoung-Cheorl KANG. CopE and TLR6 RNAi-mediated tomato resistance to western flower thrips[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2023, 22(2): 471-480.
[10] Carlos Kwesi TETTEY, YAN Zhi-yong, MA Hua-yu, ZHAO Mei-sheng, GENG Chao, TIAN Yan-ping, LI Xiang-dong . Tomato mottle mosaic virus: characterization, resistance gene effectiveness, and quintuplex RT-PCR detection system[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2022, 21(9): 2641-2651.
[11] TANG Qiong, ZHENG Xiao-dong, GUO Jun, YU Ting. Tomato SlPti5 plays a regulative role in the plant immune response against Botrytis cinerea through modulation of ROS system and hormone pathways[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2022, 21(3): 697-709.
[12] WU Han-yu, QIAO Mei-yu, ZHANG Wang-feng, WANG Ke-ru, LI Shao-kun, JIANG Chuang-dao. Systemic regulation of photosynthetic function in maize plants at graining stage under vertically heterogeneous light environment[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2022, 21(3): 666-676.
[13] CHEN Yan-hui, XIE Bin, AN Xiu-hong, MA Ren-peng, ZHAO De-ying, CHENG Cun-gang, LI En-mao, ZHOU Jiang-tao, KANG Guo-dong, ZHANG Yan-zhen. Overexpression of the apple expansin-like gene MdEXLB1 accelerates the softening of fruit texture in tomato[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2022, 21(12): 3578-3588.
[14] DUAN Yao-ke, HAN Rong, SU Yan, WANG Ai-ying, LI Shuang, SUN Hao, GONG Hai-jun. Transcriptional search to identify and assess reference genes for expression analysis in Solanum lycopersicum under stress and hormone treatment conditions[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2022, 21(11): 3216-3229.
[15] Hakan FIDAN, Pelin SARIKAYA, Kubra YILDIZ, Bengi TOPKAYA, Gozde ERKIS, Ozer CALIS. Robust molecular detection of the new Tomato brown rugose fruit virus in infected tomato and pepper plants from Turkey[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2021, 20(8): 2170-2179.
No Suggested Reading articles found!