• The Korean Journal of Ecology
• /
• v.26 no.5
• /
• pp.273-280
• /
• 2003

Saline conditions invoke oxidative stress attributed to the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Changes in quantum efficiency and antioxidative enzyme activity upon salt treatment were examined in a salt-tolerant plant, Atriplex gmelini, to test the hypothesis that salt tolerance of A. gmelini is due to the increased activity of antioxidative enzymes. A. gmelini showed optimum growth at 100 mM NaCl producing 116% of the shoot dry weight over control plants in 0 mM NaCl treatment. Healthy growth persisted up to 300 mM NaCl treatment maintaining normal internal water content and dry weight. No photochemical stress or damages on antioxidative defense system was obvious in plants of 2 and 4 day salt treatment which was indicated by increased quantum efficiency (Fv/Fm value), decreased stress index (Fo/Fm value), and increased activity of antioxidative enzymes such as SOD, APX, GR. However, the plants treated with 400 mM NaCl showed decrease in growth and in antioxidative enzyme activity although the enzyme activity was still higher than that of the 0 mM NaCl treated plants (l31%, 114%, and 134% of the SOD, APX, and GR activity, respectively). Interestingly, another important antioridative enzyme that scavenges H₂O₂ in plant cells, CAT, showed rapid decrease in its activity as salt concentration increased; 38%, 22%, 15% of the 0 mM NaCl treated plants at 200, 300, 400 mM NaCl treatments, respectively. It appears that the enzymes in ascorbate-glutathione cycle such as APX and GR play the major roles in scavenging ROS produced by salt stress in A. gmelini. After 6 days of salt treatment, the damage in photochemical and antioxidative defense system was indicated by decreased Fv/Fm value and increased Fo/Fm value. A. gmelini appears to cope with short term salt treatment by enhanced activity of the antioxidative defense system, whereas long term stress invoke oxidative stress by increased ROS due to the damages in photochemical and antioxidative system.