Figure 1

Phenotype change of maize seedlings under NaCl stress conditions. (A) Six-day-old maize seedlings were transferred to nutrient solution supplemented with 0, 25, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 mM NaCl respectively and grown for 7 days. The seedling and root growth was inhibited. (B) The primary roots from maize seedlings were stained with Schiff’s Solution. I-IV Six-day-old maize seedlings under normal growth conditions in nutrient solution for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h, respectively. V-VII Six-day-old maize seedlings treated with 200 mM NaCl in nutrient solution for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h, respectively. Each experiment was repeated three times. Roots were swollen at the elongation zone and the meristematic zone length was decreased after treatment with 200 mM NaCl as compared with the control group. Bar = 1 mm. (C, D) Six-day-old maize seedlings were transferred to nutrient solution supplemented with or without 200 mM NaCl, and the primary root length (C) and the plant height (D) were measured at the indicated time points. Compared with the control group, the primary root length and the plant height were dramatically reduced following exposure to 200 mM NaCl for 96 h. Values are mean values ± SD (the standard deviation) (n = 20).