Sulfur dioxide improves drought tolerance through activating Ca signaling pathways in wheat seedlings.

Sulfur dioxide (SO) and drought are two important co-occurring abiotic stresses affecting the growth and productivity of plants. Here, we will investigate the role of Ca in regulating antioxidant defense during drought or SO/drought stress, and the effect of SO pretreatment on the physiological response of wheat seedlings to drought stress. The results showed that exogenous Ca increased the activities of SOD, CAT and POD, and reduced the contents of HO and MDA in drought-treated wheat seedlings, suggesting Ca could improve drought tolerance by promoting antioxidant defense in plants.

Sulfur dioxide enhance drought tolerance of wheat seedlings through HS signaling.

Drought is one of the most common factors that limit plant growth and productivity. Sulfur dioxide (SO) has recently been found to play a benefical role in protection of plants against environmental stress. In this study, we investigated the effect of SO on the physiological and molecular response of wheat seedlings to drought stress.