Abstract
The aim of the present work was to see the effect of mercury and chromium on elongation growth of phaseolus seedlings and changes in chlorophyll content. Phaseolus seedlings were treated with two different concentrations of two heavy metals viz. mercury (0.05 mM and 0.4 mM HgCl2, and chromium (0.5 mM and 1.0 mM K2Cr2O7). Both mercury and chromium inhibited root and hypocotyl elongation growth. Changes in cytoplasmic and wall bound peroxidase activities were studied using guaiacol as a hydrogen donor. Peroxidase activity was higher in both mercury and chromium treated seedlings as compared to distilled water control; they showed a clear concentration effect. Peroxidase activity showed inverse relation with growth i.e. distilled water treated seedlings had maximum growth and minimum activity while higher concentration of heavy metal treated seedlings had minimum growth and maximum activity. Chlorophyll content was also decreased by mercury. The role of peroxidase activity in defense mechanism in response to heavy metal toxicity is discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alluwar M.V., Deotale R.D. 1991. Correlation of chlorophyll content with net assimilation rate and yield in chick pea. J. Soils Crops 1: 33–39.
Arnon D.I. 1949. Copper enzymes in isolated chloroplasts polyphenol oxidase in Beta vulgaris. Plant Physiol. 24: 1–5.
Bagatharia S.B., Chanda S.V. 1998. Modification of cell wall polysaccharides during cell elongation in Phaseolus vulgaris hypocotyls. Acta Physiol. Plant. 20: 15–18.
Bakardjieva N.T., Christova N.V., Christov K. 1996. Reaction of peroxidase from different plant species to increased temperatures and the effect of cadmium and zinc ions. In: Plant peroxidases: Biochemistry and Physiology, Obinger C, Burner U, Ebermann R, Penel C, Greppin H (Eds), Univ of Geneva pp 345–351.
Baycu G., Onal M. 1992. The effects and the accumulation of cadmium in Alianthus altissima. Abstract Physiol Plant 85 Part 2: A74.
Davies B.E. 1997. Deficiencies and toxicities of trace elements and micronutrients in tropical soils — limitations of knowledge and future research needs. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 16: 75–83.
Doddemma H., Telkamp G.P. 1979. Uptake of nitrate by mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana, disturbed in uptake or reduction of nitrate II kinetics. Physiol. Plant. 45: 332–338.
Espelie K.E., Franeesci V.R., Kolattukudy P.E. 1986. Immunocytochemical localization and time course of appearance of an anionic peroxidase associated with suberization in wound healing potato tuber tissue. Plant Physiol. 81: 487–492.
Fontes R.L.F., Cox F.R. 1998. Zinc toxicity in soybean grown at high iron concentrations in nutrient solution. J. Plant Nutr. 21: 1723–1730.
Fry S.C. 1986. Cross-linking of matrix polymers in the growing cell walls of angiosperms. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 37: 165–186.
Hsu F.H., Chang H.C. 1992. Inhibitory effects of the heavy metals on seed germination and seedling growth of Miscanthus species. Bot. Bull. Acad. 33: 335–342.
Jinnman R.L., Lang J. 1965. Peroxidase catalized oxidation of indole-3-acetic acid. Biochemistry 4: 144–158.
Kahle H. 1988. Wirkungon von Vlei and cadmium auf wachstum and mineralstoffhaushalt von jungbuchen (F. sylvatica L.) in Sandkultur. Dissert Bot Band 127, J. Cramer Berlin.
Lagrimini L.M., Burkhart W., Moyer M., Rothestein S. 1987. Molecular cloning of complementary DNA encoding the lignin-forming peroxidase from tobacco: molecular analysis and tissue — specific expression. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA 84: 7542–754.
Mader M., Ungemach J., Schloss P. 1980. The role of peroxidase isoenzyme groups of Nicotiana tabacum in hydrogen peroxide formation. Planta 147: 467–470.
Mesmar M.N., Jaber K. 1991. The toxic effect of lead on seed germination, growth chlorophyll and protein content of wheat and lens. Acta Biol. Hung. 42: 331–334.
Muthuchelian K., Rani S., Paliwal K. 1988. Different action of Cu+2 and Cd +2 on chlorophyll biosynthesis and nitrate reductase activity in Vigna sinensis L. Indian J. Plant Physiol. 31: 169–173.
Myttenaere C., Mourny J.M. 1974. The distribution of chromium in lowland rice in relation to the chemical form and to the amount of stable chromium in the nutrient solution. Plant Soil 41: 65–72.
Nieboer E., Richardson D.H.S. 1980. The replacement of the non descript term heavy metals by a biologically and chemically significant classification of metal ions. Environ. Pollu. Ser B 1: 3–26.
Pich A., Scholz G. 1996. Translocation of copper and other micronutrients in tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill): nicotinamine — stimulated copper transport in the xylem. J. Exp. Bot. 47: 41–47.
Scalet M., Federico R., Guido M.C., Manes F. 1995. Peroxidase activity and polyamine changes in response to ozone and simulated acid rain in Aleppo pine needles. Environ. Exp. Bot. 35: 417–425.
Sheoran I.S., Singhal H.R., Randhir S. 1990. Effect of cadmium and nickel on photosynthesis and the enzymes of the photosynthetic carbon reduction cycle in pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan). Photosynth. Res. 23: 345–351.
Skeffington R.A., Shewry P.R. Peterson P.J. 1976. Chromium uptake and transport in barley seedlings (Hordeum vulgare L.). Planta (Berl) 132: 209–214.
Srivastava O.P., van Huystee R.B. 1977. An interrelationship among peroxidase, IAA oxidase and polyphenoloxidase from peanut cells. Can. J. Bot. 55: 2630–2635.
Stroiński A. 1994. Cadmium signaling in plant cell. Biol. Plant. 36: 299.
Subhashini K., Reddy G.M. 1990. Effect of salt stress on enzyme activities in callus cultures of tolerant and susceptible rice cultivars. Indian J. Exp. Biol. 28: 277–279.
Subrahmanyam D. Rathore V.S. 1992. 14CO2 fixation and allocation of 14C into major biochemical fractions in different parts of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea). Photosynth. Res. 26: 423–428.
Tarvainen O., Ahonen-Jonnart U., Markkola A.M., Vare H. 1991. The influence of Al, Cu and Ni on peroxidase activity in seedlings of Pinus sylvestris and mycelia of Suilla variegates. In: Biochemical, Molecular and hysiological aspects of plant peroxidases, Lobarzewski J, Greppin H, Penel C, Gaspar Th (Eds), Univ of Geneva, pp 443–445.
Tripathi R.D., Chandra P. 1991. Chromium uptake by Spirodela polyrrhiza (L.) Schleiden in relation to metal chelators and pH. Bull. Envir. Contam. Toxicol. 47: 764–769.
Van Assche F., Clijsters H 1990. Effects of heavy metals on enzyme activity in plants. Plant Cell Environ. 13: 195–206.
Vangronsveld J., Clijsters H. 1994. Toxic effects of metals. In Plants and the chemical elements:biochemistry, uptake, tolerance and toxicity Ed. Farago ME, VCH Weinheim, pp 149–177.
Welch R.M. 1995. Micronutrient nutrition of plants. Crit. Rev. Plant Sci. 14: 49–82.
Yamauchi N. Watada A.E. 1991. Regulated chlorophyll degradation in spinach leaves during storage. J. Am. Soc. Hortic Sci. 116: 58–62.
Yurkovskii A.K., Bramane A.E., Yurkovaka V.A. 1977. A cycle of variations of phytoplankton pigments and bacterioplankton in the Baltic sea. Okeanologiya 16: 830–838.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Parmar, N.G., Vithalani, S.D. & Chanda, S.V. Alteration in growth and peroxidase activity by heavy metals in Phaseolus seedlings. Acta Physiol Plant 24, 89–95 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-002-0026-4
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-002-0026-4