Enhancement of non-photochemical quenching in the Bryophyte Physcomitrella patens during acclimation to salt and osmotic stress.

Drought and salt stress are major abiotic constraints affecting plant growth worldwide. Under these conditions, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a common phenomenon taking place mainly in chloroplasts, peroxisomes, mitochondria and apoplasts, especially when associated with high light stress. ROS are harmful because of their high reactivity to cell components, thereby leading to cytotoxicity and cell death.