Low iron level improves salt tolerence by changing the redox regulatory mechanisms in arabidopsis thaliana

Soil salinization is a critical restrictive causal factor for plant growth. The soluble salts could lead to low crop growth and production; thus, it is very crucial to improve plant salt tolerance. Iron (Fe) is involved in plant growth and development, and many other metabolic pathways. Yet, little research on the relationship between iron content and salt tolerance has been done in previous works. By using a series of Fe gradient treatments, this study explored the role of Fe in Arabidopsis thaliana tolerance to salt stress. Germination tryout results exposed greater salt tolerance at lower Fe treatments than at higher Fe treatments. Some indicators, such as iron leakage, levels of sodium, potassium and reactive oxygen species of roots also indicated increased tolerance to salinity in case of low Fe treatments. Reduced glutathione levels of plants were caused by salt stress and it designated further increased damage of an oxidation state. Nevertheless, high Fe content tended to cause more damages to the redox system than low Fe content. In conclusion, Fe content had a significant function in resistance to salinity by plants. The main explanation of the resistance to salt by plants may be the Fe's ability to bring about changes in the redox potential. (author)