Comparison of NaCl-induced programmed cell death in the obligate halophyte Cakile maritima and the glycophyte Arabidospis thaliana

•Cakile maritima is a putative crop and model of obligate halophyte.•NaCl-induced PCD is compared between A. thaliana and C. maritima.•NaCl-induced PCD is dependent on ROS generation and NSCC regulation.•C. maritima is more efficient in managing Na+ accumulation and oxidative stress.

Salinity represents one of the most important constraints that adversely affect plants growth and productivity. In this study, we aimed at determining possible differences between salt tolerant and salt sensitive species in early salt stress response. To this purpose, we subjected suspension-cultured cells from the halophyte Cakile maritima and the glycophyte Arabidopsis thaliana, two Brassicaceae, to salt stress and compared their behavior. In both species we could observe a time and dose dependent programmed cell death requiring an active metabolism, a dysfunction of mitochondria and caspase-like activation although C. maritima cells appeared less sensitive than A. thaliana cells. This capacity to mitigate salt stress could be due to a higher ascorbate pool that could allow C. maritima reducing the oxidative stress generated in response to NaCl. It further appeared that a higher number of C. maritima cultured cells when compared to A. thaliana could efficiently manage the Na+ accumulation into the cytoplasm through non selective cation channels allowing also reducing the ROS generation and the subsequent cell death.