Effects of earthworm on tomato resistance under different drought levels

doi:10.17520/biods.2021488

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims: Soil invertebrates have the potential to modify plant responses to drought stress. For example, some functional groups improve soil conditions via resource provision and water retention, potentially alleviating drought stress. This study was designed in order to mechanistically understand the functional roles of soil fauna in ecosystem services.
Methods: A pot experiment using tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum) was conducted in a greenhouse. This study adopted a complete factorial design that manipulated earthworm (Metaphire guillelmi) abundance and drought stress level.
Results: Our results indicate that earthworms promote plant drought resistance under high drought stress, which significantly up-regulated gene expression (NCED, NSY, OPR, AOS and LOX) of abscisic acid and jasmonic acid biosynthesis, promoted the accumulation of abscisic acid and jasmonic acid by 43.2% and 33.6%, up-regulated transcription factor expression, and increased the activities of catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase by 12.9%, 8.4% and 47.3% in tomato shoots, respectively. However, under low drought stress, earthworms up-regulated jasmonic acid synthesis pathway gene expression, but reduced abscisic acid content, and had no significant effect on the expression of transcription factors ABF4 and MYC2 genes or plant antioxidant capacity.
Conclusion: The effects of earthworms on plant resistance depends on drought level. This study confirms the importance of soil invertebrates in plant drought resistance including the potential impact of earthworms on plant hormone synthesis, signal transduction, and antioxidant capacity.

Key words: earthworms, global climate change, aboveground-belowground, plant hormone, signal transduction

Jiman Li, Nan Jin, Maogang Xu, Jusong Huo, Xiaoyun Chen, Feng Hu, Manqiang Liu. Effects of earthworm on tomato resistance under different drought levels[J]. Biodiv Sci, 2022, 30(7): 21488.

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URL: https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/10.17520/biods.2021488

https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/Y2022/V30/I7/21488

Figures/Tables 5

Fig. 1 Changes in biomass of Metaphire guillelmi and effects of earthworm on soil physical and chemical properties (soil water content, mineral nitrogen, available phosphorus, microbial biomass carbon and microbial biomass nitrogen) under low and high drought conditions (mean ± SD, n = 5). Statistical differences were assessed following a two-way ANOVA using earthworm and drought as factors. * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01, *** P < 0.001.

Fig. 2 Effects of earthworm on the contents of tomato shoot catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) under low and high drought conditions (mean ± SD, n = 5). Statistical differences were assessed following a two-way ANOVA using earthworm and drought as factors. * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01, *** P < 0.001.

Fig. 3 Effects of earthworm on drought resistance hormone signaling pathway in tomato shoot. (A) Venn diagram of up-regulated DEGs of tomato shoot ABA and JA signaling pathways (M00372, M00113) in response to earthworm. (B) Expression of ABA and JA signaling pathway-related genes in response to earthworm, data are mean values of log2-transformed expression values, false discovery rate-corrected P < 0.05 (n = 5). (C) Effects of earthworm on the contents of tomato shoot abscisic acid and jasmonic acid under low and high drought stress conditions (* P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01, *** P < 0.001).

Fig.4 Correlation analysis between soil biotic and abiotic properties and tomato drought-resistance compounds. CAT, Catalase; POD, Peroxidase; SOD, Superoxide dismutase; MDA, Malondialdehyde; ABA, Abscisic acid; JA, Jasmonic acid. * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01, *** P < 0.001.

Fig. 5 Proposed model of earthworm induced resistance to drought stress in tomato. η and ι represent up- and down-regulation respectively. NCED, 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase; AOS, allene oxide synthase; OPR, 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid reductase; ABF, ABA-responsive element binding factor; NSY, Neoxanthinsynthase; LOX, Lipoxygenase; MYC2, Myelocytomatosis proteins 2; JAZs, Jasmonate ZIM-domain; CAT, Catalase; POD, Peroxidase; SOD, Superoxide dismutase.

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