Salt tolerance and regulation of Na⁺, K⁺, and proline contents in different wild turfgrasses under salt stress

Abstract

Turfgrasses show a wide range of salinity tolerance. In this study, twenty wild turfgrasses were collected from coastal regions in Japan, and their species; evolutionary lineage; salt tolerance levels; shoot and root K⁺, Na⁺, and proline contents; and amounts of ions secreted from their salt glands were determined. Among them, eighteen turfgrass species were determined based on the internal transcribed spacer 1 sequences. All collected wild turfgrasses were identified as halophytes and were divided into two salt-tolerant levels. They maintained the shoot relative water contents and suppressed excess Na⁺ accumulation in their shoots and roots and K⁺ content homeostasis compared with rice, resulting in the maintenance of a higher K⁺/Na⁺ ratio under salt stress. These characteristics must be part of the salt tolerance mechanisms. Among the four turfgrasses with salt glands, three selectively secreted Na⁺ from their salt glands; however, interestingly, one secreted K⁺ over Na⁺, although it still maintained a K⁺/Na⁺ ratio comparable to that of the other turfgrasses. A significant amount of proline synthesis was observed in most of the turfgrasses in response to salt stress, and the proline content was highly correlated with the salt tolerance, suggesting its key role in the salt tolerance mechanisms. These wild turfgrasses with such diverse ion control mechanisms and proline synthesis profiles are useful materials for investigating the salt tolerant mechanisms and breeding salt tolerant turfgrasses.