Abstract
Drought stress has become an increasingly serious environmental issue that influences the growth and production of watermelon. Previous studies found that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonization improved the fruit yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of watermelon grown under water stress; however, the exact mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, the effects of Glomus versiforme symbiosis on the growth, physio-biochemical attributes, and stress-responsive gene expressions of watermelon seedlings grown under well-watered and drought conditions were investigated. The results showed that AM colonization did not significantly influence the shoot growth of watermelon seedlings under well-watered conditions but did promote root development irrespective of water treatment. Drought stress decreased the leaf relative water content and chlorophyll concentration, but to a lesser extent in the AM plants. Compared with the non-mycorrhizal seedlings, mycorrhizal plants had higher non-photochemical quenching values, which reduced the chloroplast ultrastructural damage in the mesophyll cells and thus maintained higher photosynthetic efficiency. Moreover, AM inoculation led to significant enhancements in the enzyme activities and gene expressions of superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and monodehydroascorbate reductase in watermelon leaves upon drought imposition. Consequently, AM plants exhibited lower accumulation of MDA, H2O2 and [Formula: see text] compared with non-mycorrhizal plants. Under drought stress, the soluble sugar and proline contents were significantly increased, and further enhancements were observed by pre-treating the drought-stressed plants with AM. Taken together, our findings indicate that mycorrhizal colonization enhances watermelon drought tolerance through a stronger root system, greater protection of photosynthetic apparatus, a more efficient antioxidant system and improved osmoregulation. This study contributes to advances in the knowledge of AM-induced drought tolerance.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
AM colonization did not significantly influence shoot growth under well-watered conditions.
- Taxon
- watermelon seedlings
Citrullus lanatuse0 - Treatment
- AM colonizatione0
- Interactor
- AMe0symbiont
- Outcome
- shoot growthe0
- Direction
- did not significantly influencee0
- Qualifier
- under well-watered conditionse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“AM colonization did not significantly influence the shoot growth of watermelon seedlings under well-watered conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
AM colonization promoted watermelon root development irrespective of water treatment.
- Taxon
- watermelon seedlingsCitrullus lanatuse0
- Treatment
- AM colonizatione0
- Interactor
- AMe0symbiont
- Outcome
- root developmente0
- Direction
- promotee0
- Qualifier
- irrespective of water treatmente0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“AM colonization did not significantly influence the shoot growth of watermelon seedlings under well-watered conditions but did promote root development irrespective of water treatment.”
Claim · model-written summary
Drought decreased leaf relative water content and chlorophyll concentration less in mycorrhizal plants.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- Drought stresse0
- Interactor
- AMe0symbiont
- Outcome
- leaf relative water content and chlorophyll concentratione0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Comparator
- AM plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Drought stress decreased the leaf relative water content and chlorophyll concentration, but to a lesser extent in the AM plants.”
t0“Watermelon Seedlings”
Claim · model-written summary
Mycorrhizal plants had higher non-photochemical quenching than non-mycorrhizal seedlings.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- mycorrhizal plantse0
- Interactor
- mycorrhizale0symbiont
- Outcome
- non-photochemical quenching valuese0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- non-mycorrhizal seedlingse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Compared with the non-mycorrhizal seedlings, mycorrhizal plants had higher non-photochemical quenching values”
t0“Watermelon Seedlings”
Claim · model-written summary
Greater quenching reduced chloroplast ultrastructural damage in mesophyll cells.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Organ / stage
- mesophyll cellse0
- Outcome
- chloroplast ultrastructural damagee0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Qualifier
- higher non-photochemical quenching valuese0
Not reportedInteractor
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“higher non-photochemical quenching values, which reduced the chloroplast ultrastructural damage in the mesophyll cells”
t0“Watermelon Seedlings”
Claim · model-written summary
Mycorrhizal plants maintained higher photosynthetic efficiency.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- mycorrhizal plantse0
- Interactor
- mycorrhizale0symbiont
- Outcome
- photosynthetic efficiencye0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- non-mycorrhizal seedlingse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Compared with the non-mycorrhizal seedlings, mycorrhizal plants had higher non-photochemical quenching values, which reduced the chloroplast ultrastructural damage in the mesophyll cells and thus maintained higher photosynthetic efficiency.”
t0“Watermelon Seedlings”
Claim · model-written summary
AM inoculation significantly enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities in drought-stressed leaves.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse0
- Organ / stage
- leavese0
- Treatment
- AM inoculatione0
- Interactor
- AMe0symbiont
- Outcome
- enzyme activitiese0
- Direction
- enhancementse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“AM inoculation led to significant enhancements in the enzyme activities and gene expressions of superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and monodehydroascorbate reductase in watermelon leaves upon drought imposition.”
Claim · model-written summary
AM inoculation significantly enhanced antioxidant gene expressions in drought-stressed leaves.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse0
- Organ / stage
- leavese0
- Treatment
- AM inoculatione0
- Interactor
- AMe0symbiont
- Outcome
- gene expressionse0
- Direction
- enhancementse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“AM inoculation led to significant enhancements in the enzyme activities and gene expressions of superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and monodehydroascorbate reductase in watermelon leaves upon drought imposition.”
Claim · model-written summary
AM plants accumulated less MDA and H2O2 than non-mycorrhizal plants.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- AM plantse0
- Interactor
- AMe0symbiont
- Outcome
- accumulation of MDA, H2O2 and [Formula: see text]e0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- non-mycorrhizal plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“AM plants exhibited lower accumulation of MDA, H2O2 and [Formula: see text] compared with non-mycorrhizal plants.”
t0“Watermelon Seedlings”
Claim · model-written summary
Drought significantly increased soluble sugar and proline contents.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- drought stresse0
- Outcome
- soluble sugar and proline contentse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Under drought stress, the soluble sugar and proline contents were significantly increased”
t0“Watermelon Seedlings”
Claim · model-written summary
AM pretreatment further enhanced soluble sugar and proline contents under drought.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- pre-treating the drought-stressed plants with AMe0
- Interactor
- AMe0symbiont
- Outcome
- soluble sugar and proline contentse0
- Direction
- enhancementse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the soluble sugar and proline contents were significantly increased, and further enhancements were observed by pre-treating the drought-stressed plants with AM.”
t0“Watermelon Seedlings”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that mycorrhizal colonization enhances watermelon drought tolerance through root, photosynthetic, antioxidant, and osmotic responses.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse0
- Interactor
- mycorrhizale0symbiont
- Outcome
- drought tolerancee0
- Direction
- enhancese0
- Qualifier
- a stronger root system, greater protection of photosynthetic apparatus, a more efficient antioxidant system and improved osmoregulatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“mycorrhizal colonization enhances watermelon drought tolerance through a stronger root system, greater protection of photosynthetic apparatus, a more efficient antioxidant system and improved osmoregulation.”
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