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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Functional and Applied Plant Genomics
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1503463

Resveratrol enhances the tolerance of Malus hupehensis to potassium deficiency stress

Provisionally accepted
Zhijuan Sun Zhijuan Sun 1Tianchao Wang Tianchao Wang 2Jianyu Li Jianyu Li 2Xiaodong Zheng Xiaodong Zheng 2Hongjuan Ge Hongjuan Ge 3Guangli Sha Guangli Sha 3Changqing Ma Changqing Ma 2Qiang Zhao Qiang Zhao 2Caihong Wang Caihong Wang 2Yike Tian Yike Tian 2*
  • 1 College of Life Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
  • 2 College of Horticulture, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
  • 3 Qingdao Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Potassium (K) deficiency in plants can lead to metabolic disorders and growth retardation. Currently, nearly 50 % of the arable land in China is experiencing a K resource deficit, significantly hindering the development of the apple industry. Resveratrol (Res), a phytoalexin, has been extensively reported to enhance plant resistance against various abiotic stresses. However, there have been no reports on the response of Res to K+ deficiency stress in apples. This study aims to investigate the effect of exogenous Res on the K+ deficiency tolerance of Malus hupehensis. The results demonstrated that applying 50 μM of exogenous Res could enhance the tolerance of M. hupehensis to K+ deficiency stress. Compared to non-Res treatments, external application of Res alleviated leaf chlorosis and improved root growth in apple seedlings. Additionally, it increased antioxidant enzyme activity, thereby reducing the production of reactive oxygen species induced by K+ deficiency stress. Res also regulated proline and soluble sugar content to maintain osmotic balance. Moreover, Res helped maintain the balance of mineral element contents in apple seedlings and the normal K+: Na+ ratio by enhancing the influx of K+. Furthermore, exogenous Res regulated the expression of related kinase genes, promoting Ca2+ signal transduction in response to K+ deficiency stress and inducing the expression of K+ transport genes to enhance K+ absorption, thus supporting normal plant growth. In conclusion, this study provides a theoretical basis for the application of exogenous Res to alleviate K+ deficiency stress in apples.

    Keywords: resveratrol, K deficiency stress, Malus hupehensis, Oxidative damage, ion balance

    Received: 29 Sep 2024; Accepted: 21 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Sun, Wang, Li, Zheng, Ge, Sha, Ma, Zhao, Wang and Tian. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Yike Tian, College of Horticulture, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.