Changes in crassulacean acid metabolism expression, chloroplast ultrastructure, photochemical and antioxidant activity in the Aloe vera during acclimation to combined drought and salt stress

Abstract

We determined time course changes of photochemical and antioxidant activity during the induction of strong crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) in Aloe vera L. plants grown under salt and drought stress. We found that the strong CAM was induced during 25–30days of drought alone treatment. After 25–30days, we showed the withdrawal of strong CAM back to constitutive CAM background under the combination of simultaneous drought and salt stress, which coincided with the accumulation of malondialdehyde, and the decrease in the contents of endogenous nitric oxide (NO) and non-enzymatic antioxidants. At the same time, the chloroplast ultrastructure was damaged with a parallel accumulation of reactive oxygen species, and the whole photosynthetic electron transport flux was impaired by combined stress treatment. In conclusion, the changes in CAM expression parameters was attended by a similar pattern of antioxidant and photochemical change in Aloe plants subjected to only drought or combined stress.