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Effects of lead and nitric oxide on photosynthesis, antioxidative ability, and mineral element content of perennial ryegrass

  • Original Papers
  • Published:
Biologia Plantarum

Abstract

Hydroponics experiments were conducted to study the effects of sodium nitroprusside (SNP, a donor of NO) on lead toxicity in ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) seedlings. When the ryegrass seedlings were grown in a nutrient solution containing 500 μM Pb2+ for two weeks, the plant biomass as well as net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, chlorophyll and carotenoid content of leaves decreased. The Pb stress also induced the production of superoxide anion (O2 ·−) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), leading to malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation. Furthermore, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) decreased in the Pb-treated seedlings, but the catalase (CAT) activity increased. Additionally, the content of Cu in shoots and the content of K, Mg, Fe, and Zn in both shoots and roots decreased, but the content of Ca in shoots and roots increased under the Pb stress. Moreover, Pb accumulated mostly in roots, whereas a small quantity was translocated to shoots. However, the addition of 50, 100, and 200 μM SNP into the solution containing Pb increased the chlorophyll content and net photosynthetic rate, reduced Pb-induced oxidative damages, improved antioxidant enzyme activities, and inhibited translocation of Pb from roots to shoots. In particular, 100 μM SNP had the best effect on promoting growth of the ryegrass seedlings under the Pb toxicity. However, the application of 400 μM SNP had no obvious alleviating effect on Pb toxicity in the ryegrass seedlings.

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Abbreviations

APX:

ascorbate peroxidase

CAT:

catalase

MDA:

malondialdehyde

O2 ·− :

superoxide anion

POD:

peroxidase

ROS:

reactive oxygen species

SNP:

sodium nitroprusside

SOD:

superoxide dismutase

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Resources and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, 271018, P.R.China

    X. Y. Bai, Y. J. Dong, Q. H. Wang, L. L. Xu, J. Kong & S. Liu

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  1. X. Y. Bai
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  2. Y. J. Dong
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  3. Q. H. Wang
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  4. L. L. Xu
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  5. J. Kong
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  6. S. Liu
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Correspondence to Y. J. Dong.

Additional information

Acknowledgements: The authors thank an English lecturer Mr. S. Craig (the Taishan University of China) and a lecturer X. Wang (the College of Foreign Languages, the Shandong Agricultural University) for their critical reading and revision of the manuscript. The authors also thank P. Yang (the College of Animal Science and Technology, the Shandong Agricultural University, China) for her supplying instruments and patient guidance. Special acknowledgements are given to the editors and reviewers. This research work was financially supported by the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (ZR2013CM003) and a Project of Shandong Province Higher Educational Science and Technology Program (J14LF08).

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Bai, X.Y., Dong, Y.J., Wang, Q.H. et al. Effects of lead and nitric oxide on photosynthesis, antioxidative ability, and mineral element content of perennial ryegrass. Biol Plant 59, 163–170 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-014-0476-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-014-0476-8

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