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The responses of germinating seedlings of green peas to copper oxide nanoparticles

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Biologia Plantarum

Abstract

The effects of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) on germinating seedlings of green pea (Pisum sativum L.) were studied. The seedlings were grown in a half-strength Murashige and Skoog semisolid medium containing 0, 50, 100, 200, 400, and 500 mg dm−3 CuONPs for 14 d under controlled growth chamber conditions. Exposures to 100, 200, 400, and 500 mg dm−3 CuONPs significantly reduced plant growth (shoot and root lengths) and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and lipid peroxidation. Gene expression study using real-time polymerase chain reaction showed no significant change in the expression of genes coding CuZn-superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in shoots. However in roots, a significant increase in the expression of the CuZnSOD gene was observed under the exposures to 100, 200, 400, and 500 mg dm−3 CuONPs, in the expression of the CAT gene under 100 and 200 mg dm−3 CuONPs, and in the expression of APX under 200 and 400 mg dm−3 CuONPs.

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Abbreviations

APX:

ascorbate peroxidase

CAT:

catalase

CuONPs:

copper oxide nanoparticles

CuZnSOD:

CuZn-superoxide dismutase

HPF:

3′-hydroxyphenyl flourescein

ICP-AES:

inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrophotometry

MS:

Murashige and Skoog

NBT:

nitroblue tetrazolium

PCR:

polymerase chain reaction

ROS:

reactive oxygen species

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Biosciences, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea

    P. M. G. Nair & I. M. Chung

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  1. P. M. G. Nair
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  2. I. M. Chung
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Correspondence to I. M. Chung.

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Acknowledgements: This paper was supported by the KU Research Professor Program of the Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea, and by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (2014R1A2A2A01002202).

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Nair, P.M.G., Chung, I.M. The responses of germinating seedlings of green peas to copper oxide nanoparticles. Biol Plant 59, 591–595 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-015-0494-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-015-0494-1

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