Changes in physiological and photosynthetic parameters in tomato of different ethylene status under salt stress: Effects of exogenous 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid treatment and the inhibition of ethylene signalling

Although ethylene (ET) is an important participant in plant responses to salt stress, its role in the early period of acclimation, especially in the case of photosynthesis has not been revealed in detail. In this study, the effects of tolerable (100 mM) or lethal (250 mM) NaCl concentrations were investigated in hydroponically grown tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. Ailsa Craig) plants of different ET status, in wild type (WT) plants, in WT plants pretreated with the ET generator 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) and in ET insensitive, Never ripe (Nr/Nr) mutants for 1-, 6- and 24 h. In the leaves ACC treatment reduced the osmotic effect of salt stress, while Nr mutation enhanced not only osmotic but ionic component of salt stress at 100 mM NaCl. ET insensitivity caused greater decline in stomatal conductance and photosynthetic CO2 assimilation rate than in the controls under tolerable salt stress, but both ACC treatment and Nr mutation helped to maintain positive carbon assimilation under lethal salt stress after 24 h. Nr mutant leaves showed highly enhanced regulated non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) and therefore lower quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII), due to more intensive cyclic electron flow around photosystem I (CEF-PSI), which was further increased under high salinity. Exogenous ACC treatment lowered CEF-PSI and enhanced PSII photochemistry after 6 h of lethal salt stress. Controlling PSI photoinhibition, ET is suggested to be an important regulator of CEF-PSI and photoprotection under salt stress. Furthermore, the altered ET status could cause contrasting effects under different stress severity.