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Physiological responses and chromosomal aberration in root tip cells of Allium sativum L. to cerium treatments

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Abstract

Background and aims

Lower concentrations of REEs promote plant growth, whereas higher concentrations of REEs negatively affect plant growth, soil accumulation, and environmental pollution. To clarify the mechanism of cerium (Ce) toxicity on Allium sativum, the effects of Ce(IV) on mitosis in root tip cells and physiological responses were studied.

Methods

Roots growth, mitosis, chlorophyll and malondialdehyde contents, and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and catalase were measured after treatments with Ce(IV).

Results

Lower Ce concentrations (0.4 and 4 μM) increased leaf chlorophyll content and enhanced SOD and catalase activities. Higher Ce concentrations (40 and 100 μM) decreased chlorophyll content and inhibited root growth, but enhanced malondialdehyde contents and catalase and APX activity in roots and leaves. SOD activity was inhibited after 12 days of treatment with 100 μM Ce. Treatment with >100 μM Ce caused chromosomal aberrations (e.g., sticky chromosomes, chromosomal fragments, and bridges) in root tip cells.

Conclusions

Chromosomal aberrations in root cells induced by high Ce concentrations might be associated with inhibition of root growth. Changes in antioxidant enzyme activities suggested that Ce(IV) induced antioxidative stress responses and that Ce(IV) treatment first damaged root cells and subsequently affected physiological processes in leaves.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the financial support from the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program: 2014CB745100), the Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin (13JCYBJC25500), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Program: 21576201).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, 300387, People’s Republic of China

    Qiu-Man Xu, Ya-Zhe Wang & Hui Liu

  2. Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education; School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, People’s Republic of China

    Qiu-Man Xu & Jing-Sheng Cheng

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  1. Qiu-Man Xu
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  2. Ya-Zhe Wang
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Correspondence to Jing-Sheng Cheng.

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Xu, QM., Wang, YZ., Liu, H. et al. Physiological responses and chromosomal aberration in root tip cells of Allium sativum L. to cerium treatments. Plant Soil 409, 447–458 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-2978-y

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