Turkish Journal of Botany
DOI
-
Abstract
Seed germination, seedling growth, and some enzyme activity of nucleic acid metabolism were studied in 5 members of Chenopodiaceae [Beta vulgaris L., Chenopodium quinoa Willd., Spinacea oleracea L., Allenrolfia occidentalis (S.Watson) Kuntze, Atriplex hortensis L.] under NaCl salinity alone or combined with 0.5 mM CaSO_4. High salinity delayed radical emergence and decreased germination percentage in all plants. Combined CaSO_4 reduced inhibition of seed germination in B. vulgaris, S. oleracea, and A. hortensis, but increased it in C. quinoa and A. occidentalis. CaSO_4 reduced plant growth to a greater degree than high salinity did. High salinity decreased total nucleic acid content in all plants, except C. quinoa. Combined CaSO_4 enhanced this effect in B. vulgaris, S. oleracea, and A. hortensis, but alleviated it in C. quinoa and A. occidentalis. Salinity progressively activated deoxyribonuclease (DNase I) and CaSO_4 enhanced its activation in all plants, except B. vulgaris. Salinity increased endonuclease activity, except in S. oleracea and A. occidentalis. Addition of CaSO_4 increased endonuclease activity in C. quinoa, S. oleracea, and A. occidentalis. Salinity inhibited ribonuclease A (RNase A) activity, but increased it in C. quinoa and S. oleracea, whereas CaSO_4 alleviated such inhibition in A. occidentalis and A. hortensis. Salinity increased ribonuclease T (RNase T) activity in all plants, especially in C. quinoa, S. oleracea, and A. occidentalis.
Keywords
Chenopodiaceae, growth, nucleic acid, DNase I, endonuclease, RNase A and RNase T
First Page
125
Last Page
134
Recommended Citation
ABO-KASSEM, ESSAM E. M. (2007) "Effects of Salinity: Calcium Interaction on Growth and Nucleic Acid Metabolism in Five Species of Chenopodiaceae," Turkish Journal of Botany: Vol. 31: No. 2, Article 4. Available at: https://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/botany/vol31/iss2/4
