BACKGROUND AND AIMS Different populations of the Mediterranean xerohalophyte species Atriplex halimus exhibit different levels of resistance to salt and osmotic stress depending on the nature of the osmocompatible solute they accumulate. There is, however, no conclusive description of the involvement of abscisic acid (ABA) in the plant response to NaCl or osmotic stress in this species. METHO...

Glycine soja (BB52) is a wild soybean cultivar grown in coastal saline land in Yellow River Delta, China. In order to reveal the physiological mechanisms adapting to salinity, we examined photosynthesis, ion flux, antioxidant system and water status in Glycine soja under NaCl treatments, taking a cultivated soybean, ZH13, as control. Upon NaCl exposure, higher relative water content and water p...

The synthesis ofglycinebetaine may proceed by two possible routes: (a) by the stepwise methylation of glycine, with sarcosine and dimethylglycine as intermediates, or (b) by the stepwise methylation of ethanolamine to choline with subsequent oxidation of the latter base. In certain animal tissues there is abundant evidence of the formation of betaine by oxidation of choline, and this step would...

Due to the discrepancy in metabolic sodium (Na) requirements between plants and animals, cycling of Na between humans and plants is limited and critical to the proper functioning of bio-regenerative life support systems, being considered for long-term human habitats in space (e.g., Martian bases). This study was conducted to determine the effects of limited potassium (K) on growth, Na uptake, p...

Heat stress due to increased temperature is an agricultural problem in many areas in the world. Transitory or constantly high temperatures ause an array of morpho-anatomical, physiological and biochemical changes in plants, which affect plant growth and development and may ead to a drastic reduction in economic yield. The adverse effects of heat stress can be mitigated by developing crop plants...