Photosynthesis and activity of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and glutathione reductase in cotton under salt stress

The effects of NaCl stress on the activity of antioxidant enzyme such as superoxide dismutase (SOD: EC 1.15.1.1), peroxidase (POD: EC 1.11.1.7), glutathione reductase (GR: EC 1.6.4.2), rate of lipid peroxidation, gas-exchange, chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence were investigated in two cotton cultivars, Guazuncho and Pora (hybrids between Gossypium hirsutum x G. arboretum x G. raimondii) grown in nutrient solution. Plants were treated with three salt concentrations (50, 100 and 200 mol m(-3) NaCl) for 21 days. The SOD activity in Pora increases with the increase in the intensity of NaCl stress, but salt treatment had no significant effect on this enzyme activity in Guazuncho. The POD and GR activities showed similar trends under salt stress, in both cotton cultivars. In Pora, there was an average increase in GR activity of about 53%, but there was no further increase at higher NaCl concentrations. In Guazuncho, no change in GR activity was observed. Net photosynthesis and stomatal conductance decreased in response to salt stress, but Pora showed a smaller reduction in photosynthesis than Guazuncho. The results indicated that stomatal aperture limited leaf photosynthetic capacity in the NaCl-treated plants of both cultivars. However, significant reduction in the leaf chlorophyll contents due to NaCl stress was observed only on Guazuncho. In both cotton cultivars, the photochemical efficiency of PSII was not affected by salt stress. These results suggest that salt-tolerant cotton varieties may have a better protection against reactive oxygen species (ROS) by increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes under salt stress. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.