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Involvement of glutathione and enzymatic defense system against cadmium toxicity in Bradyrhizobium sp. strains (peanut symbionts)

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Abstract

In this study, the effects of cadmium (Cd) on cell morphology and antioxidant enzyme activities as well as the distribution of the metal in different cell compartments in Bradyrhizobium sp. strains were investigated. These strains were previously classified as sensitive (Bradyrhizobium sp. SEMIA 6144) and tolerant (Bradyrhizobium sp. NLH25) to Cd. Transmission electron micrographs showed large electron-translucent inclusions in the sensitive strain and electron-dense bodies in the tolerant strain, when exposed to Cd. Analysis of Cd distribution revealed that it was mainly bounded to cell wall in both strains. Antioxidant enzyme activities were significantly different in each strain. Only the tolerant strain was able to maintain a glutathione/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) ratio by an increase of GSH reductase (GR) and GSH peroxidase (GPX) enzyme activities. GSH S-transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT) activities were drastically inhibited in both strains while superoxide dismutase (SOD) showed a significant decrease only in the sensitive strain. In conclusion, our findings suggest that GSH content and its related enzymes are involved in the Bradyrhizobium sp. tolerance to Cd contributing to the cellular redox balance.

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Abbreviations

CAT:

Catalase

Cd:

Cadmium

GPX:

Glutathione peroxidase

GR:

Glutathione reductase

GSH:

Glutathione

GSSG:

Oxidized glutathione

GST:

Glutathione S-transferase

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

TBA:

Thiobarbituric acid

TCA:

Trichloroacetic acid

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Secretaría de Ciencia y Técnica de la Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto (SECYT-UNRC) and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina. E. Bianucci has a doctoral fellowship from CONICET- MINCYT (Córdoba). A. Fabra is member of research career of CONICET, Argentina.

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  1. Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físico-Químicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Ruta 36 km 601, 5800, Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina

    Eliana Bianucci, Adriana Fabra & Stella Castro

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  1. Eliana Bianucci
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  2. Adriana Fabra
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  3. Stella Castro
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Correspondence to Stella Castro.

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Bianucci, E., Fabra, A. & Castro, S. Involvement of glutathione and enzymatic defense system against cadmium toxicity in Bradyrhizobium sp. strains (peanut symbionts). Biometals 25, 23–32 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10534-011-9480-z

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