10-d-old pea plants {Pisum sativum L. cv. Ran 1) were treated for 24 h with proline (10-6 M oř 10*5 M) before salinization with 50 mM NaCl for 2 d. Salt stress resulted in an increase of endogenous ffee proline content, CO2 compensation concentration, photorespiration and glycollate oxidase activity; net photosynthetic rate (P^) was inhibited, but dark respiration rate (Pp) was not affected. •‘♦CO2 fixation by protoplasts isolated from salt stressed plants was inhibited by 60 %, however, the *‘*C02 fixation by protoplasts, isolated firom plants treated with proline before salinization, was only slightly reduced by NaCl. Proline alleviated the inhibitory effect of NaCl in a concentration-depending manner. Pre-treatment with proline decreased Na+ and CP accumulation in the shoot; the root content of these ions was increased.