Abstract
Arsenic (As) negatively affects plant development. Using rice as a model, this study evaluates how the application of silicon (10 µM Si) can favour the formation of adventitious roots under arsenate stress (50 µM As V) as a mechanism to mitigate its negative effects. Indeed, the simultaneous application of As V and Si up-regulated the expression of genes involved in nitric oxide (NO) metabolism (OsNOA1), cell cycle progression (G2-M, OsCDKA1), auxin (IAA, indole-3-acetic acid) biosynthesis (OsYUCCA1 and OsTAA1) and transport (OsPIN1, OsPIN5 and OsPIN10) and Si uptake (OsLsi1 and OsLsi2), which accompanied adventitious root formation. Furthermore, Si triggered the expression and activity of MDHAR and DHAR involved in ascorbate recycling. The treatment with L-NAME, an inhibitor of NO generation, significantly suppressed adventitious root formation, even in the presence of Si; however, supplying NO in the growth media rescued its effects. The data obtained suggest that both NO and IAA are essential for Si-mediated adventitious root formation under As V stress. Interestingly, TIBA (a polar auxin transport inhibitor) suppressed adventitious root formation, even in the presence of Si and SNP (an NO donor), suggesting that Si is involved in a mechanism whereby a cellular signal is triggered and requires NO formation first and, then, IAA.
Microarray analysis revealed upregulation of nitrate reductase in juvenile cuttings of Eucalyptus grandis, which correlated with increased nitric oxide production and adventitious root formation
