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GABA Requires Nitric Oxide for Alleviating Arsenate Stress in Tomato and Brinjal Seedlings

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Abstract

In recent years, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and nitric oxide (NO) have drawn much attention in reducing/alleviating metal toxicity in plants. Arsenic is a potentially toxic metal that imposes severe toxic effects on crop plants. Therefore, the present study was an attempt to explore the role of GABA and NO in the amelioration of arsenate As(V) toxicity in tomato and brinjal seedlings. Arsenate toxicity reduced fresh mass about by 17% in tomato and 25% in brinjal seedlings, increased the level of reactive oxygen species, antioxidant enzymes (except glutathione-S-transferase), and altered photosynthesis. However, exogenously applied GABA and sodium nitroprusside (SNP, a NO donor) improved the growth of both vegetables and reduced As(V) toxicity. Interestingly, As(V) toxicity was further increased on applying biosynthetic inhibitor of NO even in the presence of GABA, and under similar conditions addition of NO donor rescued the negative effect of biosynthetic inhibitor (L-NAME) of NO. This indicates that NO is crucial in GABA-mediated alleviation of As(V) toxicity in tomato and brinjal seedlings. Besides this, results revealed that c-PTIO (a NO scavenger) addition reversed the alleviatory effect of SNP also suggesting that NO is important in curtailing As(V) toxicity. Overall, the results indicated that NO is necessary for mitigation of As(V) stress by GABA in two studied vegetable crops but NO itself does not require GABA for the same.

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Acknowledgements

Mohammad Suhel is thankful to MANF for providing financial assistance as a Junior Research Fellow.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ranjan Plant Physiology and Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, 211002, India

    Mohammad Suhel, Tajammul Husain & Sheo Mohan Prasad

  2. Plant Physiology Laboratory, Department of Botany, C.M.P. Degree College, A Constituent Post Graduate College of University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, 211002, India

    Vijay Pratap Singh

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  1. Mohammad Suhel
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SMP and VPS designed experiments. MS performed experiments. SMP and VPS analyzed data. MS and TH wrote the manuscript. SMP and VPS corrected the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Sheo Mohan Prasad.

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Suhel, M., Husain, T., Prasad, S.M. et al. GABA Requires Nitric Oxide for Alleviating Arsenate Stress in Tomato and Brinjal Seedlings. J Plant Growth Regul 42, 670–683 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-022-10576-7

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