Effects of spermidine and spermine levels on salt tolerance associated with tonoplast H+-ATPase and H+-PPase activities in barley roots

The effects of polyamines (Putrescine Put; Spermidine-Spd; and Spermine-Spm) on salt tolerance of seedlings of two barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars (J4, salt-tolerant; KP7, salt-sensitive) were investigated. The results showed that, the salt-tolerant cultivar J4 seedlings accumulated much higher levels of Spd and Spm and lower Put than the salt-sensitive cultivar KP7 under salt stress. At the same time, the dry weight of KP7 decreased significantly than that of J4. After methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) [MGBG, an inhibitor of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC)] treatment, Spd and Spm levels together with the dry weight of both cultivars were reduced, but the salt-caused dry weight reduction in two cultivars could be reversed by the concomitant treatment with Spd. MGBG decreased the activities of tonoplast H+-ATPase and H+-PPase too, but the experiments in vitro indicated that MGBG was not able to affect the above two enzyme activities. However, the polyamines, especially Spd, promoted their activities obviously. These results suggested that the conversion of Put to Spd and Spm and maintenance of higher levels of Spd and Spm were necessary for plant salt tolerance.