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Cadmium induced oxidative stress in soybean plants also by the accumulation of δ-aminolevulinic acid

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Abstract

Cadmium toxicity has been extensively studied in plants, however its biochemical mechanism of action has not yet been well established. To fulfil this objective, four-weeks-old soybean nodulated plants were treated with 200 μM Cd2+ for 48 h. δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALA-D, E.C. 4.2.1.24) activity and protein expression, as well as δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and porphobilinogen (PBG) concentrations were determined in nodules, roots and leaves. In vitro experiments carried out in leaves were performed using leaf discs to evaluate the oxidant and antioxidant properties of ALA and S-adenosyl-l-methinone (SAM), respectively. Oxidative stress parameters such as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and GSH levels as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD, E.C. 1.15.1.1), and guaiacol peroxidase (GPOX, E.C. 1.11.1.7) were also determined. Cadmium treatment caused 100% inhibition of ALA-D activity in roots and leaves, and 72% inhibition in nodules whereas protein expression remained unaltered in the three studied tissues. Plants accumulated ALA in nodules (46%), roots (2.5-fold) and leaves (104%), respect to controls. From in vitro experiments using leaf discs, exposed to ALA or Cd2+, it was found that TBARS levels were enhanced, while GSH content and SOD and GPOX activities and expressions were diminished. The protective role of SAM against oxidative stress generated by Cd2+ and ALA was also demonstrated. Data presented in this paper let us to suggest that accumulation of ALA in nodules, roots and leaves of soybean plants due to treatment with Cd2+ is highly responsible for oxidative stress generation in these tissues.

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Abbreviations

ALA:

δ-aminolevulinic acid

ALA-D:

δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase

BHT:

Butylated hydroxytoluene

DTNB:

5,5′ dithio-bis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid)

DTT:

Dithiotreitol

FW:

Fresh weight

GPOX:

Guaiacolperoxidase

GSH:

Reduced glutathione

GSSG:

Oxidized glutathione

NBT:

Nitroblue tetrazolium

PBG:

Porphobilinogen

PVP:

Polyvinylpyrrolidone

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SAM:

S-adenosyl-l-methionine

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

TBA:

Thiobarbituric acid

TBARS:

Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances

TCA:

Trichloroacetic acid

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) (Argentina). AB and MLT are career investigators from CONICET.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Investigaciones sobre Porfirinas y Porfirias (CIPYP), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Guillermo O. Noriega & Alcira Batlle

  2. Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956, Buenos Aires, 1113, Argentina

    Karina B. Balestrasse & Maria L. Tomaro

Authors
  1. Guillermo O. Noriega
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  2. Karina B. Balestrasse
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  3. Alcira Batlle
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  4. Maria L. Tomaro
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Correspondence to Maria L. Tomaro.

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Noriega, G.O., Balestrasse, K.B., Batlle, A. et al. Cadmium induced oxidative stress in soybean plants also by the accumulation of δ-aminolevulinic acid. Biometals 20, 841–851 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10534-006-9077-0

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