Involvement of trehalose in hydrogen sulfide donor sodium hydrosulfide-induced the acquisition of heat tolerance in maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings

BACKGROUND: Trehalose, a non-reducing disaccharide, which involves in the acquisition of various stress tolerance, while hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) is considered as a cell signal molecule, but H(2)S-induced heat tolerance and involvement of trehalose in plants is still unclear. RESULTS: In present study, pretreatment with hydrogen sulfide donor sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) markedly increased the accumulation of endogenous H(2)S in maize seedlings under normal culture conditions, which in turn improved survival percentage of maize seedlings and mitigated increase in electrolyte leakage and malonaldehyde (MDA) accumulation under heat stress. In addition, treatment with NaHS activated increase in the activity of trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase (TPP) under normal culture conditions, followed by induced the accumulation of endogenous trehalose, but this accumulation was eliminated by addition of sodium citrate, an inhibitor of TPP. During the process of heat stress, maize seedlings treated with NaHS maintained higher TPP activity and trehalose content than those of control. On the other hand, exogenous application of trehalose also increased the content of endogenous trehalose in maize seedlings under normal culture conditions, alleviated increase in electrolyte leakage and MDA accumulation under heat stress, which in turn improved survival percentage of maize seedlings, and the heat tolerance induced by trehalose was enhanced by exogenous supplement of NaHS, but exogenous trehalose treatment had not significant effect on the accumulation of endogenous hydrogen sulfide in maize seedlings. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that sodium hydrosulfide pretreatment could improve heat tolerance of maize seedlings and this improvement may be involved in trehalose accumulation by activating TPP activity. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1999-3110-55-20) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.