The effect of salinity on plant growth, chlorophyll content, photosynthetic parameters, photochemical efficiency of PSII, membrane lipid content and fatty-acid composition of halophyte Thellungiella halophila and glycophyte Arabidopsis thaliana was investigated to examine the possible role of unsaturated fatty acids in photosynthesis under saline conditions. The growth of Arabidopsis was significantly decreased by the 100 and 200 mM NaCl treatments; however, there was no significant difference in the fresh and dry weight of Thellungiella at different concentrations of NaCl. Exposure of Arabidopsis to salt resulted in a progressive decline in chlorophyll content, while there was no significant change in that of Thellungiella. The net photosynthetic rate, maximal photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm) and actual PSII efficiency were significantly reduced in Arabidopsis but remained unaffected in Thellungiella. Arabidopsis under NaCl treatment showed decreased PG levels and decreased values for the unsaturated fatty acid content and the double bond index (DBI) of monogalactosyldiacylglycerols and phosphatidylglycerols; these values significantly increased in Thellungiella under NaCl treatment, as did the DBI values of digalactosyldiacylglycerols and sulphoquinovosyldiacylglycerols. These results suggest that Thellungiella under salt stress displays high resistance to photoinhibition and that increased concentrations of unsaturated fatty acids in membrane lipids enhances the tolerance of photosystem II to salt stress.
