The effect of salinity on phosphorus (P) absorption kinetics by 'Russet Burbank' cv. potato propagated by tissue culture technique was studied in the laboratory. Nine clones of the cultivar were evaluated for their salt tolerance at the vegetative stage by using in vitro culture. Four concentrations of NaCl (0, 40, 80, and 120 mM) were used in the experiments. The first experiment was carried out to study the effect of salinity on P absorption by using radiophosphorus ($ sp{32}$P) as a marker. P absorption showed a quadratic relationship with time. In general, there was a significant reduction in P absorption as the NaCl concentration increased in the nutrient medium. However, the root tip concentration of $ sp{32}$P increased with increased salt concentration. When P concentration in the nutrient medium was increased, $ sp{32}$P activity was also increased with time at 120 mM salt concentration. The activity of radiophosphorus decreased on root tips when P concentration in the nutrient medium was increased to 2.5 mM P. The second experiment was conducted in tissue culture using nodal cutting bioassay. The plant morphological parameters of shoot length, shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, root length, root fresh weight, and root dry weight were reduced for all nine clones as salinity increased. The clone PEI#1 (tu) exhibited high salt tolerance characteristics.

It had been generally accepted that salinity adversely affects the growth of plants. This study examined how the salinity level affects the growth of H. jubatum. A green house study was conducted to determine the effects of salinity levels on growth, and anatomy of root and leaf of H. jubatum. One week-old seedlings were transplanted and grown on 10-cm plastics pots filled with sand at Ball State University green house. Plants were subirrigated with hydroponic solution Dyna gro liquid 9-7-5 (NPK) and 0%, 0.5%, 1 %, and 1.5% NaCl for each treatment. The solutions were changed bi-weekly, evaporation losses were replaced daily. After aproximately 45 days, randomly chosen plants were harvested, washed, measured and weighted, to determine their growth such as: root biomass, shoot biomass, shoot height, leaf lenght, and leaf width. Slides of root and leave tissues were prepared with microtechnic standard using rotary microtome and N-butyl alcohol series. Anatomical variables measured included; root diameter, stele diameter, ratio of stele to root, thickness of leaf at mid vein, diameter of vb in mid vein, diameter of metaxylem in midvein, thickness of leaf at second lateral vein (left and right), diameter of vb at second lateral vein (left and right). The slides then were potoghraped with Olympus camera. Statistical analysis supported that salinity significantly affected the growth, morphology, and anatomy of H. jubatum. / Department of Biology

Cultured tobacco cells (Nicotiana tabacum L., cv Wisconsin-38) were subjected to temporary sub-lethal heat and salt shock treatments to determine the effects of these treatments on various physiological parameters after subsequent lethal heat or salt stresses. Tobacco cells developed a tolerance to a non-permissive temperature stress (54C for 14 min) when pretreated with heat shock of 38C for 2h but not when pretreated at 42C for 2h. Cells pretreated at 38 (2h) exhibited less than 30% normal growth when the 54C stress came immediately after the 38C treatment. Tolerance to the 54C stress developed with increased interval between shock and stress with cells exhibiting 95% normal regrowth when the 54C stress was administered 8h after the 38C shock. The developement of heat tolerance was inhibited if heat shock was done in the presence of a non-injuring level of EGTA (.0.5mM). Cells treated with EGTA during heat shock grew normally at 23C but not after a 54C heat stress. EDTA (0.5mM) had little effect on the acquisition of tolerance to heat stress.Wisconsin-38 cells developed a tolerance to a non-permissive salt stress (2% NaCl for 16h) when pretreated at a lower salt level (1.2% NaCl) for 3h. Cells heat shocked at 38C exhibited increased tolerance of the lethal salt stress up to 8h. Conversely, cells heat shocked at 42C exhibited immediate tolerance to lethal salt stress and this tolerance decayed over eight hours. The heat shock-induced acquisition of salt tolerance was inhibited by both EGTA and EDTA.Proteins synthesized during heat and salt stress treatments were labeled with [35S]-methionine and/or [3H]-leucine and separated using Sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Fluorographic analysis of the gels indicate that a number of proteins are produced in response to heat shock. Similar analysis of proteins from salt shocked cells indicates that no salt shock proteins are produced in response to a brief low-level sodium chloride shock.

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We have studied the effects of exogenous salt on whole plant and suspension culture cells of the halophytic tomato Lycopersicon pennellii. Under low salt conditions (2.9 dS/M) plants showed enhanced (halophytic) growth (107% of control). At moderate (7.5 dS/M) and high (18.5 dS/M) salt levels, salt stress reduced growth to about 78% and 40% of control respectively. Salt-induced changes in root mRNAs were analyzed via two-dimensional PAGE of cell free translation (CFT) products. We have identified 14 proteins whose levels were enhanced by exogenous salt. One of these proteins was unique to low salt induced halophytic growth. This system allowed for discrimination between proteins up-regulated at all salt levels and those up-regulated only during salt stress induced growth reduction. Ten proteins were identified whose levels were reduced by exogenous salt. Once again, one could identify a subset of proteins whose levels were reduced only under salt stressed conditions. Proteins identified in this study are candidates for roles in growth maintaining stress adaptive metabolism in L.pennellii. These data underscore the complexity of the genetic control of salt metabolism in higher plants. The effects of exogenous salt on protein synthesis and accumulation were studied in suspension cultures of L.pennellii. Two salt levels were applied to the cells. Under low salt conditions (LS, 10 mM), L.pennellii cells showed enhanced (halophytic) growth. Under high salt conditions (HS, 50 mM), the cells showed reduced (salt-stressed) growth. Changes in proteins with time were analyzed by a combination of cell free translation, in vivo labeling and total accumulated protein. In vivo labeling studies showed that the pattern of steady state protein synthesis was disrupted shortly after addition of salt. High salt induced greater disruption in the pattern. Over time, the steady state levels of most proteins shifted back towards those of the unstressed-control. However, the level of several proteins remained altered. Analysis of proteins whose levels increased with exogenous salt showed differences in the response patterns that may allow for discrimination between proteins involved in growth maintaining and stress shock responses.

Two accessions of tepary (phaseolus acutifolius Gray var. latifolius) and navy (P. vulgaris L. 'Fleetwood') beans were studied for salt tolerance at several• developmental stages. Genotypes were germinated at 0.0 through -2.5 MPa NaCl at 25°C and 35°C for nine days. Tepary accessions had higher germination percentages and rates than navy for ≤ - 2.0 MPa at 250C and ≤ - 1.5 MPa at 35°C. Fresh weights of root plus hypocotyl decreased severely with the first increment of NaCl (-0.5 MPa) for all genotypes. Fresh weight of navy was reduced more at 35°C than at 25°C. Genotypes were stressed in vermiculite-filled trays with 0.0 through -1.5 MPa NaCl for 14 days. Final growth stage and rates of emergence were reduced at salinities ~ -0.6 MPa NaCl, and were higher in tepary than navy at -1.2 MPa. Tepary beans tended to maintain higher water and osmotic potentials, and at -0.9 MPa had less reduction in leaf area than navy beans. Fresh weights, dry weights and root:shoot ratios declined in all genotypes with increasing salinities. Plants grown hydroponically were stressed with -0.10, -0.25, and -0.50 MPa NaCl during either vegetative or reproductive stages. Navy had equal or greater fresh and dry weights of leaf, stem, and pods at -0.10 MPa, but tepary beans had equal or greater weights at the highest salinity relative to navy. Tepary had the greatest pod weight with -0.50 MPa NaCl applied during the reproductive stage. Carbon exchange rates (CER) were lower in navy than one or both tepary beans at some sampling times. Tepary beans tended to have higher leaf water and osmotic potentials than did navy. Transpiration and stomatal resistance values were similar in all genotypes, while leaf temperatures were different in white tepary versus navy. Tepary beans yielded higher than navy when grown in low and high salinity fields. Transpiration rates, leaf water and osmotic potentials, and CERs were similar or higher, while stomatal resistance and leaf temperatures were similar or lower in tepary than in navy. Plant height and stand count also were measured. Tepary was more salt tolerant than navy, exhibiting greater tolerance to NaCl at every growth stage.

Shoot and root fresh and dry weight, shoot length, leaf area, leaf area index and relative growth rate of 14 day old tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolis Gray) and navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) seedlings were reduced following treatment with NaCl solution exhibiting osmotic potential of either -0.25, 0.50, and -0.75 MPa. Salinity reduced the growth of navy bean more than tepary bean. The physiological basis of the adaptive response of tepary bean seedlings to salt stress was explored by determining the water and osmotic potentials, relative water content, free amino acid and sugar concentrations, distribution and levels of inorganic ions within the seedlings and ATPase activity of the root plasma membrane. Salinity led to an osmotic adjustment in the leaves and the proximal part of the root of tepary bean. Turgor remained almost constant whereas osmotic and water potential and relative water content declined following the salt treatments. The osmotic adjustment of the leaves and proximal part of the roots was -1.7 MPa and -1.2 MPa, respectively, in seedlings treated with -0.75 MPa NaCl solution. Free amino acids and sugars increased under salinity stress in both species but they increased more in the tepary bean. Glucose was the most abundant free sugar. The nonstructural carbon solutes contributed -0.15 MPa to the seedling's osmotic adjustment whereas Na, Cl, K and Ca ion levels contributed -0.85 MPa. However, the levels of these solutes were not large enough to account for the total osmotic adjustment observed in the salt treated seedlings. This study shows that tepary bean has specific strategies to overcome the impact of salinity through osmotic adjustment and exclusion of Na and Cl ions from the stems and leaves by retaining these ions in the proximal part of root and stem base. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)

Tissue culture and radicle excision techniques were employed to evaluate salt tolerance in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Plant suspension cultures of either seedling root or shoot origin were studied in media with or without supplemental NaCl (3.54 g liter⁻¹). In most cases, the growth rates of root-derived cultures were stimulated by this low level of supplemental NaCl while most shoot-derived cultures were not stimulated by NaCl. Excised radicles of three populations of alfalfa which possessed widely differing ranges of germination salt tolerance were screened in four salts (NaCl, KCl, Na₂SO₄, and K₂SO₄) at six varying concentrations. As was observed in the tissue culture experiments, low levels of NaCl (7.09 g liter⁻¹) stimulated radicle elongation of all populations as compared to the elongation levels of the control solutions (no supplemental salts). In general, for NaCl, the population that posessed the highest degree of germination salt tolerance (Az-St 1982) also displayed the greatest rates of radicle elongation especially in the highest salt concentrations. Additionally, this population along with the moderately germination salt tolerant population (Az-ST 1979) maintained higher rates of elongation in KCl, K₂SO₄ and Na₂SO₄ than did the control germplasm which has little germination salt tolerance (Mesa Sirsa Control). Examinations of each individual population in all four salts simultaneously, indicated that the sulfate salts reduced radicle elongation to a greater extent than did the chloride salts. Evaluation of both osmotic effects and specific ion effects showed that the specific ion effects attributed to the anions were more detrimental to radicle elongation than were the osmotic effects.