Enhanced Na and Cl sequestration and secretion selectivity contribute to high salt tolerance in the tetraploid recretohalophyte Plumbago auriculata Lam.

Enhanced secretion of Na and Cl in leaf glands and leaf vacuolar sequestration of Na or root retention of Cl, combined with K retention, contribute to the improved salt tolerance of tetraploid recretohalophyte P. auriculata. Salt stress is one of the major abiotic factors threatening plant growth and development, and polyploids generally exhibit higher salt stress resistance than diploids. In recretohalophytes, which secrete ions from the salt gland in leaf epidermal cells, the effects of polyploidization on ion homeostasis and secretion remain unknown. In this study, we compared the morphology, physiology, and ion homeostasis regulation of diploid and autotetraploid accessions of the recretohalophyte Plumbago auriculata Lam. after treatment with 300 mM NaCl for 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 days. The results showed that salt stress altered the morphology, photosynthetic efficiency, and chloroplast structure of diploid P. auriculata to a greater extent than those of its tetraploid counterpart. Moreover, the contents of organic osmoregulatory substances (proline and soluble sugars) were significantly higher in the tetraploid than in the diploid, while those of HO and malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly lower. Analysis of ion homeostasis revealed that the tetraploid cytotype accumulated more Na in stems and leaves and more Cl in roots but less K loss in roots compared with diploid P. auriculata. Additionally, the rate of Na and Cl secretion from the leaf surface was higher, while that of K, Mg, and Ca secretion was lower in tetraploid plants. X-ray microanalysis of mesophyll cells revealed that Na mainly accumulated in different cellular compartments in the tetraploid (vacuole) and diploid (cytoplasm) plants. Our results suggest that polyploid recretohalophytes require the ability to sequester Na and Cl(via accumulation in leaf cell vacuoles or unloading by roots) and selectively secrete these ions (through salt glands) together with the ability to prevent K loss (by roots). This mechanism required to maintain K/Na homeostasis in polyploid recretohalophytes under high salinity provides new insights in the improved maintenance of ion homeostasis in polyploids under salt stress.