Sodium nitroprusside to enhance wheat drought tolerance in water deficit conditions

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Payame Nour University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Introduction
The economic importance of wheat, both in terms of production and nutrition, is greater than that of other agricultural crops in the world. Wheat has a special place in terms of production and area under cultivation, and increasing its yield depends on certain factors, among which determining its water requirement is of great importance. Failure to meet the water requirement of wheat plants causes water stress in the plant, and the yield of the plant's grain decreases depending on the severity of the stress. Iran has a warm and dry climate and its annual rainfall is low. In addition, the distribution of rainfall is also inappropriate in Iran, and the rainiest regions of Iran also need irrigation in the summer. The presence of sufficient water is essential to maintain turgor pressure, growth, and physiological processes in plant cells. Plants maintain osmotic pressure in cells under drought stress conditions using physiological mechanisms. One of these mechanisms is the biosynthesis of metabolites such as soluble sugars, potassium, free organic acids, and chlorides. Studies have shown that water deficit stress causes growth reduction, leaf area reduction, stomatal closure, photosynthetic pigment reduction, photosynthesis reduction, enzyme degradation, and oxidative damage. Water deficit stress is one of the main factors reducing the quantity and quality of agricultural products worldwide, and one of its most common effects is the disruption of the production and quenching of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Reactive oxygen species are highly reactive and, in the absence of effective protective mechanisms, cause cell damage including serious damage to the plant by lipid peroxidation, protein degradation, and DNA chain breakage. Plant cells tolerate reactive oxygen species using endogenous mechanisms such as enzymatic and non-enzymatic mechanisms. It is thought that plants first detect water deficit conditions in the roots, then several molecular messages are transmitted from the roots to the stems. Finally, a phytohormone, abscisic acid (ABA), is mainly synthesized in leaves. However, the precise molecular mechanisms of stress sensors and regulators that initiate ABA biosynthesis in response to water stress conditions are still unclear. Additionally, there are few studies that indicate that the nitric oxide molecule (NO) is one of these signaling molecules in sensing and responding to water stress. Many studies have shown the role of the nitric oxide signaling molecule in growth, development, and defense responses. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP) is a water-soluble salt consisting of iron combined with NO and five cyanide ions. This compound acts as a nitric oxide generator. Various studies have shown that sodium nitroprusside, as a nitric oxide generator, delays senescence and reduces chlorophyll and protein degradation in some plants, including wheat. However, there are few details regarding the role of exogenous NO signaling in modulating water deficit stress. Developing suitable methods to enhance plant tolerance under water-deficient conditions is of great importance. The objective of the present research was to investigate the effects of sodium nitroprusside on nitric oxide signaling and induction of the antioxidant defense mechanisms of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (Gaskogen genotype) under water-deficient conditions.
 
Materials and methods
The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replicates to examine the effects of drought and sodium nitroprusside on wheat morphological and physiological traits. The experiment was conducted in the Biology Laboratory of Payame Noor University, Khoy, in 2021. Germinated seeds were transferred to pots containing perlite and pretreated with 0.2 mM sodium nitroprusside and full-strength Hoagland's solution immediately before the water-deficit treatment
 was imposed.
 
Results and discussion
According to the analysis of variance, the effects of the treatments and their interactions were significant on the morphological and physiological traits of the seedlings. Sodium nitroprusside treatment increased nitric oxide levels on the second day, whereas the highest nitric oxide levels in the other treatments were observed on the third day of seedling growth. Plant fresh weight and photosynthetic pigment contents were significantly increased by sodium nitroprusside under water-deficient conditions compared with the control. Hydrogen peroxide levels and the lipid peroxidation index were significantly reduced due to the antioxidant activity induced by sodium nitroprusside treatment.
 
Conclusion
Overall, treating wheat (Gaskogen genotype) with sodium nitroprusside under control and water-deficit conditions enhanced wheat tolerance in water-deficit conditions by early activation of nitric oxide signaling and the induction of antioxidant responses, including the synthesis of antioxidant enzymes. The application of sodium nitroprusside is recommended to alleviate the adverse effects of water-deficit stress on wheat growth and physiology.
 
Acknowledgments
The author would like to thank Abtinberkeh Scientific Ltd. Company (https://Abtinberkeh.com), including Abtinberkeh Academy (https://Academy.Abtinberkeh.com), Isfahan, Iran, for editing and revising the manuscript to meet the journal's format requirements.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Environmental Stresses in Crop Sciences

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Available Online from 27 October 2025

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  • Receive Date: 16 July 2024
  • Revise Date: 05 October 2024
  • Accept Date: 07 October 2024

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