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Interactive effect of calcium and gibberellin on nickel tolerance in relation to antioxidant systems in Triticum aestivum L.

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Abstract

Nickel toxicity affects many metabolic facets of plants and induces anatomical and morphological changes resulting in reduced growth and productivity. To overcome the damaging effects of nickel (Ni) stress, different strategies of the application of nutrients with plant hormones are being adopted. The present experiment was carried out to assess the growth and physiological response of wheat plant (Triticum aestivum L.) cv. Samma to pre-sowing seed treatment with GA3 alone as well as in combination with Ca2+ and/or Ni stress. The pre-sowing seed treatment of Ni decreased all the growth characteristics (plant height, root length, fresh, and dry weight) as well as chlorophyll (Chl) content and enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA: E.C. 4.2.1.1) activity. However, an escalation was recorded in malondialdehyde content and electrolyte leakage in plants raised from seed soaked with Ni alone. Moreover, all the growth parameters and physiological attributes (Chl content, proline (Pro) content, CA, peroxidase (E.C.1.11.1.7), catalase (E.C. 1.11.1.6), superoxide dismutase (E.C. 1.15.1.1), ascorbate peroxidase (E.C. 1.11.1.11), and glutathione reductase (E.C. 1.6.4.2) were enhanced in the plants developed from the seeds soaked with the combination of GA3 (10−6 M), Ca2+, and Ni. The present study showed that pre-sowing seed treatment of GA3 with Ca2+ was more capable in mitigation of adverse effect of Ni toxicity by improving the antioxidant system and Pro accumulation.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Professor Govindjee (Professor Emeritus of Biophysics and Plant Biology in the Departments of Plant Biology, Biochemistry and the Center of Biophysics & Computational Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, USA) and anonymous reviewers for their valuable suggestions and critical reading of manuscript and Professor Adel Salah Abdul-Jabbar (Director of Attracting Outstanding faculty and Researchers Program) for providing the opportunity to work in Department of Botany and Microbiology, King Saud University, Saud Arabia.

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  1. Department of Botany, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia

    Manzer H. Siddiqui, Mohamed H. Al-Whaibi & Mohammed O. Basalah

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  1. Manzer H. Siddiqui
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  2. Mohamed H. Al-Whaibi
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  3. Mohammed O. Basalah
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Siddiqui, M.H., Al-Whaibi, M.H. & Basalah, M.O. Interactive effect of calcium and gibberellin on nickel tolerance in relation to antioxidant systems in Triticum aestivum L.. Protoplasma 248, 503–511 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-010-0197-6

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