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Physiological mechanisms to cope with Cr(VI) toxicity in lettuce: can lettuce be used in Cr phytoremediation?

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Abstract

This research aims at identifying the main deleterious effects of Cr(VI) on the photosynthetic apparatus and at selecting the most sensitive endpoints related to photosynthesis. To achieve this goal, we used lettuce (Lactuca sativa), a sensible ecotoxicological crop model. Three-week-old plants were exposed to 0, 50, 150 and 200 mg L−1 of Cr(VI). These concentrations ranged from levels admitted in irrigation waters to values found in several Cr industry effluents and heavily contaminated environments. After 30 days of exposure, plants accumulated Cr preferably in roots and showed nutritional impairment, with decreases of K, Mg, Fe and Zn in both roots and leaves. Cr(VI)-exposed plants showed decreased levels of chlorophyll (Chl) a and anthocyanins, as well as decreased effective quantum yield of photostystem II (ΦPSII) and photochemical Chl fluorescence quenching (qp), but increases in the non-photochemical Chl fluorescence quenching (NPQ) and in the de-epoxidation state (DEP) of the xanthophyll cycle. Net CO2 assimilation rate (P N ) and RuBisCO activity were mostly impaired in the highest Cr(VI) concentration tested. Concerning the final products of photosynthesis, starch content was not affected, while soluble sugar contents increased. These alterations were accompanied by a reduction in protein content and in plant growth. Our results support that endpoints related to the photosynthesis photochemical processes (ΦPSII and the qp) and the content of anthocyanins are sensitive predictors of Cr(VI) toxicity. The advantages of using these parameters as biomarkers for Cr toxicity in plants are discussed. Finally, we report that, despite showing physiological disorders, L. sativa plants survived and accumulated high doses of Cr, and their use in environmental/decontamination studies is open to debate.

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Abbreviations

Ci/Ca:

Ratio of intercellular to atmospheric CO2 concentration

Chl:

Chlorophyll

DEP:

De-epoxidation state of the xanthophyll cycle

DW:

Dry weight

E :

Transpiration rate

Fv/Fm :

Maximum quantum yield of PSII

NPQ:

Non-photochemical quenching

P N :

Net CO2 assimilation rate

qp:

Photochemical quenching

PSII:

Photosystem II

RuBisCO:

Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase

RWC:

Relative water content

ΦPSII :

Effective quantum efficiency of PSII

Ψπ :

Osmotic potential

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Acknowledgments

The Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT) funded the postdoctoral fellowship of M. C. Dias (SFRH/BPD/100865/2014) and of C. Monteiro (SFRH/BD/48204/2008). This work was also financed by FCT/MEC through national funds and the co-funding by the FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement and COMPETE 2020, within the project UID/BIA/04004/2013; FEDER/COMPETE/POCI - POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006958, FCT project UID/AGR/04033, and UID/QUI/00062/2013. Authors thank U Feickert and R Caps for technical support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Functional Ecology (CEF) and Department of Life Science, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal

    Maria Celeste Dias

  2. Department of Chemistry and QOPNA, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal

    Maria Celeste Dias

  3. Department of Biology and Environment, Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Apartado 1013, 5001-801, Vila Real, Portugal

    José Moutinho-Pereira & Carlos Correia

  4. Laboratory of Biotechnology and Cytometry, University Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal

    Cristina Monteiro & Márcia Araújo

  5. Department of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University, Max von Laue Str. 13, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Wolfgang Brüggemann

  6. Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Wolfgang Brüggemann

  7. Department of Biology & GreenUP/Citab-UP, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal

    Conceição Santos

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  1. Maria Celeste Dias
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  2. José Moutinho-Pereira
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  4. Cristina Monteiro
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  7. Conceição Santos
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Correspondence to Maria Celeste Dias.

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Dias, M.C., Moutinho-Pereira, J., Correia, C. et al. Physiological mechanisms to cope with Cr(VI) toxicity in lettuce: can lettuce be used in Cr phytoremediation?. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 15627–15637 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6735-9

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