Abstract
A halophyte Atriplex gmelini possess bladder hairs on the leaf surface. The bladder hairs consist of one- to three-celled stalk and a bladder cell on the top of the stalk, the bladder cells highly concentrating salt under high salinity. Although the bladder hairs are thought to play an important role in salt tolerance, there are few studies on the contribution of bladder hairs to salt tolerance.
In this report, the changes of the morphological and physiological characteristics of the bladder hairs of A. gmelini, grown under several NaCl concentrations, were examined. The light microscopical observation and the localization of Na+ by using fluorescent reagent were conducted. The content of ions and a compatible solute, glycinebetaine, were examined. The amount of choline monooxygenase, a key enzyme in glycinebetaine biosynthesis, was also examined.
With the results, the role of bladder hairs under salinity will be discussed.
