Localized and systemic effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on growth, antioxidant defense system, and nutrient uptake of alfalfa under uniform and non-uniform salt stress

Localized and systemic effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on growth, antioxidant defense system, and nutrient uptake of alfalfa under uniform and non-uniform salt stress | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Localized and systemic effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on growth, antioxidant defense system, and nutrient uptake of alfalfa under uniform and non-uniform salt stress Xue Xiong, Yuqi Wei, Mohan Liu, Nan Liu, Yingjun Zhang This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4623597/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 30 Oct, 2024 Read the published version in Plant and Soil → Version 1 posted 6 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background and Aims: Salinity causes significant environmental stress restricting plant growth and development, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can protect plants against salt stress through different mechanisms. The aim of this study was to explore the local and systemic effects of AMF in alfalfa plants under non-uniform salinity and the mechanisms underlying these effects. Methods: Alfalfa plants were subjected to uniform and non-uniform salt stress using a split-root system, with one or both root compartments inoculated or not inoculated with AMF. Results: We observed that AMF inoculation ameliorated the negative effects of salt stress by enhancing the dry weight, plant growth rate, photosynthesis, and the activities of antioxidant enzymes including CAT, POD, and SOD. These effects contributed to maintaining ionic and nutritive balance and resulted in lower levels of lipid peroxidation and H2O2 contents under both uniform and non-uniform salinity treatments, particularly when the whole root system was inoculated with AMF. Under non-uniform salinity, AMF alleviated oxidative stress in the high-saline root side where it was inoculated, thus playing a key role in alleviating salt-induced damage. Conversely, when AMF was inoculated on the non-saline root side, both root compartments exhibited systemic oxidative defense mechanisms, highlighting the significance of functional equilibrium within the root system in enhancing salt tolerance. Conclusion: The findings indicate that AMF ameliorates the effects of salt stress through distinct antioxidant defense and ion regulation mechanisms under non-uniform salinity. P uptake and ion regulation were more effective in the AMF-inoculated root side, both under uniform and non-uniform salinity conditions. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi alfalfa non-uniform salinity oxidative defense Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 30 Oct, 2024 Read the published version in Plant and Soil → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Major revisions 06 Aug, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 05 Jul, 2024 Reviewers invited by journal 25 Jun, 2024 Editor invited by journal 24 Jun, 2024 Editor assigned by journal 24 Jun, 2024 First submitted to journal 22 Jun, 2024 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4623597","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":318912613,"identity":"d2a26f0f-e208-4e5d-a3b7-89c61a4c0d72","order_by":0,"name":"Xue Xiong","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Xue","middleName":"","lastName":"Xiong","suffix":""},{"id":318912614,"identity":"8a630b82-2042-4462-919b-63b7fa36acde","order_by":1,"name":"Yuqi Wei","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yuqi","middleName":"","lastName":"Wei","suffix":""},{"id":318912615,"identity":"481b38e0-738b-49e1-bd3a-602b2f350d84","order_by":2,"name":"Mohan Liu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mohan","middleName":"","lastName":"Liu","suffix":""},{"id":318912616,"identity":"4716bbe6-43eb-49e1-83cc-a3bc9b3a89be","order_by":3,"name":"Nan Liu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Nan","middleName":"","lastName":"Liu","suffix":""},{"id":318912617,"identity":"214ecd3b-1dbe-4055-bf78-ee660ae41f5d","order_by":4,"name":"Yingjun Zhang","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA1UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACCTDJJgfhsZGgxZhkLQyJDURrkZ/d/Ozh1za+9P72MwYMH8oOM/DPbsCvhXHOMXNj2Ta23BlncgwYZ5w7zCBx5wB+LcwSCWbSkkAtGxhyDJh52w4zGEgk4NfCJpH+DaQl3YD/jQHzX2K08EjkmEl+bGNLMJAA2sJIjBYJiZwyaYZzbIYzbjwrONhzLp1H4gYBLfIz0rdJ/ig7Js/fn7zxwY8yazn+GQS0gAAzL9sxMOMAyKWE1QMB448/NUQpHAWjYBSMghEKAJL8PPBw7yMcAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5776-4392","institution":"China Agricultural University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yingjun","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhang","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-06-23 02:57:56","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4623597/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4623597/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-024-07008-8","type":"published","date":"2024-10-30T16:04:55+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":68206410,"identity":"2e1f7d26-96ed-4951-922f-7a86e2f7d2c9","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-11-04 16:32:22","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":990190,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4623597/v1_covered_e73bf099-3fae-49a1-9d9c-fa35d9bded40.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"Localized and systemic effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on growth, antioxidant defense system, and nutrient uptake of alfalfa under uniform and non-uniform salt stress","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":true,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"plant-and-soil","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"plso","sideBox":"Learn more about [Plant and Soil](https://www.springer.com/journal/11104)","snPcode":"11104","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/11104/3","title":"Plant and Soil","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, alfalfa, non-uniform salinity, oxidative defense","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4623597/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4623597/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBackground and Aims:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eSalinity causes significant environmental stress restricting plant growth and development, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can protect plants against salt stress through different mechanisms. The aim of this study was to explore the local and systemic effects of AMF in alfalfa plants under non-uniform salinity and the mechanisms underlying these effects.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethods:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eAlfalfa plants were subjected to uniform and non-uniform salt stress using a split-root system, with one or both root compartments inoculated or not inoculated with AMF.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eWe observed that AMF inoculation ameliorated the negative effects of salt stress by enhancing the dry weight, plant growth rate, photosynthesis, and the activities of antioxidant enzymes including CAT, POD, and SOD. These effects contributed to maintaining ionic and nutritive balance and resulted in lower levels of lipid peroxidation and H2O2 contents under both uniform and non-uniform salinity treatments, particularly when the whole root system was inoculated with AMF. Under non-uniform salinity, AMF alleviated oxidative stress in the high-saline root side where it was inoculated, thus playing a key role in alleviating salt-induced damage. Conversely, when AMF was inoculated on the non-saline root side, both root compartments exhibited systemic oxidative defense mechanisms, highlighting the significance of functional equilibrium within the root system in enhancing salt tolerance.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusion:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eThe findings indicate that AMF ameliorates the effects of salt stress through distinct antioxidant defense and ion regulation mechanisms under non-uniform salinity. P uptake and ion regulation were more effective in the AMF-inoculated root side, both under uniform and non-uniform salinity conditions.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Localized and systemic effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on growth, antioxidant defense system, and nutrient uptake of alfalfa under uniform and non-uniform salt stress","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-07-17 10:48:28","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4623597/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Major revisions","date":"2024-08-06T13:03:44+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2024-07-05T19:21:39+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2024-06-25T15:02:51+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"Plant and Soil","date":"2024-06-24T23:29:28+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2024-06-24T22:07:31+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Plant and Soil","date":"2024-06-22T22:57:17+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"plant-and-soil","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"plso","sideBox":"Learn more about [Plant and Soil](https://www.springer.com/journal/11104)","snPcode":"11104","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/11104/3","title":"Plant and Soil","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"6830fa9b-b21a-4d5f-bafd-6c59dbfdb3f8","owner":[],"postedDate":"July 17th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-11-04T16:21:42+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-4623597","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-024-07008-8","journal":{"identity":"plant-and-soil","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Plant and Soil"},"publishedOn":"2024-10-30 16:04:55","publishedOnDateReadable":"October 30th, 2024"},"versionCreatedAt":"2024-07-17 10:48:28","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s11104-024-07008-8","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-024-07008-8","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4623597","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4623597","identity":"rs-4623597","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}