Nutrient responses and glutamate and proline metabolism in sunflower plants and calli under Na2SO4 stress

The growth of Helianthus annuus L. calli and plants was reduced in the presence of Na2SO4 (10, 25, 50, and 100 mM). SO42— and Na concentrations increased in stressed calli and plants while NO3—, Cl—, P, K, and Mg decreased in stressed plants and Ca in shoots. Stressed calli showed decreases of NO3—, Ca, K, and Mg concentrations. Calli adapted to 50 mM Na2SO4 accumulated more K and Ca and less ammonium than stressed non-adapted calli. Proline exhibited increases in stressed calli and plants that were accompanied by decreases of proline oxidase activities while pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (P5CR) and ornithine aminotransferase (OAT) activities increased. Adapted calli accumulated more proline and had higher P5CR and OAT activities than stressed non-adapted calli. Glutamate concentration decreased with stress, together with a stimulation of cytosolic glutamine synthetase (GS1) and a decrease of plastidal GS (GS2) activity. These data strongly suggest that the increase of P5CR and GS1 activities are responsible for the decrease of glutamate concentration leading, together with the stimulation of OAT and the inhibition of the proline oxidation metabolism, to an increase of proline levels in Na2SO4-stressed sunflower cells. These data also show that salt stress increases the release of endogenous ammonium and suggests that the increase of GS1 activity plays an important role in its elimination.