Brassinosteroids (BRs) can effectively alleviate the oxidative stress caused by Ca(NO3)2 in cucumber seedlings. The root system is an essential organ in plants due to its roles in physical anchorage, water and nutrient uptake, and metabolite synthesis and storage. In this study, 24-epibrassinolide (EBL) was applied to the cucumber seedling roots under Ca(NO3)2 stress, and the resulting chemical and anatomical changes were characterized to investigate the roles of BRs in alleviating salinity stress. Ca(NO3)2 alone significantly induced changes in the components of cell wall, anatomical structure, and expression profiles of several lignin biosynthetic genes. Salt stress damaged several metabolic pathways, leading to cell wall reassemble. However, EBL promoted cell expansion and maintained optimum length of root system, alleviating the oxidative stress caused by Ca(NO3)2. The continuous transduction of EBL signal thickened the secondary cell wall of casparian band cells, thus resisting against ion toxicity and maintaining water transport.
Keywords: 24-Epibrassinolide; Ca(NO3)2 stress; Cell wall; Cucumis sativus L.; Lignin; Root.