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Copper sensitivity of nia1nia2noa1-2 mutant is associated with its low nitric oxide (NO) level

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Abstract

Copper (Cu) in excess can disturb the cell redox status maintained by reactive oxygen- (ROS) and nitrogen species. With the help of the nitric oxide (NO)-deficient nia1nia2noa1-2 mutant, the role of NO in copper stress tolerance and its relationship with ROS was examined. Under control conditions and also during Cu exposure, the NO level in the cotyledon and root tip of the mutant was significantly lower compared to the wild-type (WT) suggesting the contribution of the nitrate reductase- and nitric oxide associated 1-dependent pathways to NO synthesis. The cell viability decrease was more pronounced in the triple mutant and the originally low growth rate was maintained under Cu stress. The endogenous NO level of the mutant was increased by NO donor addition and its cell viability significantly improved suggesting that the Cu sensitivity of the nia1nia2noa1-2 mutant is directly associated with its low NO content. As the effect of Cu increased ROS formation occurred in WT roots, while the originally high ROS levels of the triple mutant slightly decreased, still remaining significantly higher than those in the WT. In the cotyledons of the triple mutant 5 µM Cu induced ROS production but NO formation failed, while in the WT cotyledons NO but no ROS accumulation was observed. The promoting effect of NO deficiency on ROS production assumes an antagonism between these molecules during Cu stress. Based on the results, it can be concluded that NO contributes to copper tolerance and its deficiency favours for ROS production.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. José León (University of Valencia, Spain) for providing the nia1nia2noa1-2 seeds. This work was supported by the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (Grant No. OTKA PD100504) and Hungary-Serbia IPA Cross-border Co-operation Programme (PLANTTRAIN, HUSBR/1203/221/173).

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary

      Zsuzsanna Kolbert, Andrea Pető, Nóra Lehotai, Gábor Feigl & László Erdei

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    1. Zsuzsanna Kolbert
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    2. Andrea Pető
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    3. Nóra Lehotai
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    4. Gábor Feigl
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    5. László Erdei
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    Correspondence to Zsuzsanna Kolbert.

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    Zsuzsanna Kolbert and Andrea Pető have contributed equally to this work.

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    Kolbert, Z., Pető, A., Lehotai, N. et al. Copper sensitivity of nia1nia2noa1-2 mutant is associated with its low nitric oxide (NO) level. Plant Growth Regul 77, 255–263 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-015-0059-5

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