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Role of Nitric Oxide in Heavy Metal Stress

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Nitric Oxide Action in Abiotic Stress Responses in Plants

Abstract

Nitric oxide (NO) is a diffusible gaseous molecule first identified in mammalian systems as the endothelium-derived relaxing factor, a potent endogenous vasodilatator. NO is also synthesized and released by plants, where it is involved in several physiological processes and in adaptative response against different stresses; hence, NO is considered to be a general signal molecule in plant and animal cells. In recent years, heavy metals (HMs), naturally present or added to the soil through diverse anthropogenic activities, have become a problem of agricultural and environmental significance. Although the mechanism by which HMs affect plants integrity is not fully understood, there is increasing evidence suggesting that an important component of the responses against HM stress is NO. This chapter presents an overview on the effects of HMs on endogenous NO content. In addition, the role of exogenous-applied NO in alleviating HM toxicity is summarized and discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze dell’Ambiente e del Territorio e di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milan, Italy

    R. Cerana

  2. Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 3, 20126, Milan, Italy

    M. Malerba

Authors
  1. R. Cerana
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  2. M. Malerba
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Correspondence to R. Cerana .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

    M. Nasir Khan

  2. Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

    Mohammad Mobin

  3. Department of Botany, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India

    Firoz Mohammad

  4. Departamento de Bioquímica Biol. Cellular y Molecular de Plantas, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Granada, Spain

    Francisco J. Corpas

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Cerana, R., Malerba, M. (2015). Role of Nitric Oxide in Heavy Metal Stress. In: Khan, M., Mobin, M., Mohammad, F., Corpas, F. (eds) Nitric Oxide Action in Abiotic Stress Responses in Plants. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17804-2_12

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