Fig. 4

The effects of fluridone (ABA synthesis inhibitor) and 3-mercaptopropionic acid (3-MP; GABA synthesis inhibitor) on the activities and gene expression levels of ascorbate–glutathione (AsA-GSH) pathway enzymes in the W- and MC-primed cotton seeds under salt stress. A Ascorbate peroxidase (APX), C dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), E glutathione reductase (GR), and G glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities of the W- and MC-primed cotton seeds after 24 h of salt stress. The expression levels of B GhAPX2, D GhDHAR3, F GhGR, and H GhGPX2 in the W- and MC-primed cotton seeds after 12 h of salt stress. WCK: water-primed seeds germinated in the sand without NaCl; WS: water-primed seeds germinated in the sand containing NaCl; MCS: MC-primed seeds germinated in the sand containing NaCl. The bars represent the means ± SE of three replicate samples