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Differential response of photosynthetic apparatus of cyanobacterium Nostoc muscorum to Pb and Cd toxicity

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Photosynthetica

Abstract

Nostoc muscorum cells showed metal-induced decrease in the relative growth, pigment contents, O2 evolution, and Hill activity in response to lead (Pb2+) and cadmium (Cd2+) treatment, which was further accentuated with increase in metal exposure time and metal concentration. I50 concentrations (50% growth inhibitory concentrations) of Pb2+ and Cd2+ for growth of N. muscorum were 55 and 21 μg mL−1, respectively. These results indicated that the cells of N. muscorum were more susceptible to Cd2+ in comparison to Pb2+. The O2 production was relatively more sensitive to both heavy metals (I50: 16 and 10 μg mL−1 of Pb2+ and Cd2+, respectively) than the Hill activity (I50: 61 and 39 μg mL−1 of Pb2+ and Cd2+, respectively). Further, measurement of Hill activity in the presence of metals and electron donors showed that inhibition sites of both Pb2+ and Cd2+ were located on the oxidizing site of PSII. The chlorophyll a (Chl a) and phycobilisome (PB) fluorescence emission spectra showed that energy transfer from Chl a and PB to PSII reaction center was more susceptible to Cd2+ than Pb2+.

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Abbreviations

Chl a :

chlorophyll a

DCPIP:

2,6-dichlorophenol-1-indophenol

DPC:

1,5-diphenyl carbazide

I50 :

50% inhibitory concentration

PB(s):

phycobilisome(s)

PC:

phycocyanin

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Science, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Raibareilly Road, Lucknow, 226 025, India

    S. Dixit & D. P. Singh

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  1. S. Dixit
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  2. D. P. Singh
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Correspondence to D. P. Singh.

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Acknowledgments: Authors are grateful to the reviewers and editors for their constructive comments on an early draft of the manuscript. The authors are also thankful to Head of the Department of Environmental Science, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, for providing laboratory facilities.

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Dixit, S., Singh, D.P. Differential response of photosynthetic apparatus of cyanobacterium Nostoc muscorum to Pb and Cd toxicity. Photosynthetica 53, 223–230 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-015-0096-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-015-0096-3

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