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Antioxidative response of metal-accumulator and non-accumulator plants under cadmium stress

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Abstract

The present study aims to elucidate the role of antioxidative enzyme in the adaptive responses of metal-accumulators (Thlaspi caerulescens and Brassica juncea) and non-accumulator plant (Nicotiana tabacum) to Cadmium stress. When seedlings of plants were grown in hydroponic condition for a period of 4 days in the presence of 200 or 400 μM CdCl2, photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate and stomatal conductance in metal-accumulators decreased more slowly than that in tobacco. MDA content and electrolyte leakage increased with elevated Cd concentration and exposure time in all plant species, while the oxidative damage in tobacco was more serious than that in metal-accumulators. The activities of SOD and CAT in metal-accumulators were significantly higher than that in tobacco under normal condition, whereas there was no significant difference in the activity of POD between Indian mustard and tobacco. The activities of antioxidative enzymes increased rapidly in metal-accumulators in response to the Cd treatments, especially SOD and CAT. In tobacco, CAT activity declined rapidly by exposure to the Cd treatment, though the activity of SOD and POD was enhanced, indicating that the antioxidative enzymes in tobacco could not fully scavenge ROS generated by Cd toxicity. These results collectively indicate that the enzymatic antioxidation capacity is one of the important mechanisms responsible for metal tolerance in metal-accumulator plant species.

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Abbreviations

Cd:

cadmium

ROS:

reactive oxygen species

MDA:

malondialdehyde

SOD:

superoxide dismutase

CAT:

catalase

POD:

peroxidase

EC:

electrical conductivity

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National High Technology Planning Program of China (Grant nos. 2006AA10Z407 and 2007AA021404) and the China National Natural Sciences Foundation (Grant nos. 30570146).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Bioengineering, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), 11 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100083, China

    Zi Wang, Yuxiu Zhang, Zhibo Huang & Lin Huang

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  1. Zi Wang
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  2. Yuxiu Zhang
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  3. Zhibo Huang
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  4. Lin Huang
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Correspondence to Yuxiu Zhang.

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Responsible Editor: Juan Barcelo.

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Wang, Z., Zhang, Y., Huang, Z. et al. Antioxidative response of metal-accumulator and non-accumulator plants under cadmium stress. Plant Soil 310, 137–149 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-008-9641-1

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