Browsing by Author "Ferreira, A. L."
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- Alleviation of salt stress using exogenous proline on a citrus cell linePublication . Lima Costa, Maria Emília; Ferreira, S.; Duarte, Amílcar; Ferreira, A. L.Salinity constitutes an important abiotic problem since ancient times, world-wide, for it leads to a decrease in productivity of crops with agronomic value. Under salt stress conditions, plant cells develop strategies to cope with Na+ and Cl-, including exclusion and compartmentalisation, induction of antioxidant enzymatic systems and compatible solutes accumulation, such as proline. The precise function of this osmolyte still remains unclear. Proline may act on osmotic adjustment, as a free radical scavenger, protecting enzymes and avoiding DNA damages. It has been also suggested the role of proline in prevention of lipid peroxidation and as a signalling/regulatory molecule. A salt-sensitive Citrus sinensis ‘Valencia late’ cell line has a smaller growth rate and accumulates proline in the presence of NaCl (>200 mM). The addition of external proline to this cell line was evaluated in terms of cell metabolism. A positive influence on the relieve of salt stress symptoms due to the presence of exogenous proline 5 mM and 100 mM NaCl was obtained, with increased growth of this salt sensitive citrus cell line.
- Saline stress and cell toxicity evaluation using suspended plant cell cultures of horticultural crops grown in a bioreactorPublication . Lima-Costa, Maria Emília; Ferreira, A. L.; Duarte, Amílcar; Beltrão, JoséCrop salt damage consists, usually, of leaf burn and defoliation, and it is associated with accumulation of toxic levels of sodium and/or chloride in leaf cells (Storey and Walker, 1999). The cell and tissue culture are simple biological systems that offer a direct approach to the metabolic changes. The plant cell growth in a controlled environment, as a bioreactor, is a unique tool for cell ion transport studies. Cell suspension culture of citrus cell line was exposed to a medium containing different sodium chloride concentrations (0mM, 42.7mM and 85.5mM). The growth profile of control cells (absence of NaCl) and 85.5mM cells were similar. The lack of inhibition of biomass accumulation, of all tested saline conditions clearly showed that the level of NaCl concentration used was not toxic for the cell metabolism. Also its ability to resist to 85.5mM NaCl can be on evidence that this suspension cel culture might have salt tolerance characteristics.