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Effects of 28-homobrassinoloid on key physiological attributes of Solanum lycopersicum seedlings under cadmium stress: Photosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism

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Abstract

Heavy metal accumulation due to environmental pollution, especially in agricultural ecosystem can cause serious deterioration of crop yield and quality. In present study we assessed the effect of exogenous 28-homobrassinoloid (HBL; 10−8 M) on growth, photosynthesis, indices of chlorophyll a fluorescence and nitrogen metabolism in Solanum lycopersicum seedlings grown under two doses (Cd1: 3 mg kg−1 sand and Cd2: 9 mg kg−1 sand) of cadmium. Accumulation of Cd in root tissues was considerably higher than shoot hence, Cd declined the growth, pigment contents, and photosynthetic O2 yield in its concentration dependent manner. Chlorophyll a fluorescence due to Cd stress was negatively affected as shown by decreased QA − reoxidation kinetics: φP0, ψ0, φE0 and PI_ABS and increased energy flux parameters: ABS/RC, TR0/RC, ET0/RC and DI0/RC. HBL application under Cd stress improved the photochemistry of photosystem II (PS II) by affecting these parameters positively. Treatment of Cd in test seedlings resulted into significant decrease in nitrate reductase, nitrite reductase, glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase activities, and induced enhancing effect on ammonium content and glutamate dehydrogenase activity. Exogenous HBL treatment alleviated the negative effect of Cd on growth, photosynthesis, contents of protein, carbohydrate and inorganic nitrogen and nitrogen assimilating enzymes. The data indicate that exogenous HBL protects the test seedlings during the early growth phase against Cd phytotoxicity by regulating Cd accumulation in tissues and two key metabolic processes; photosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism.

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Abbreviations

ABS/RC:

Energy fluxes for absorption of photon per active reaction centre

DI0/RC:

Energy dissipation flux per active reaction centre

ET0/RC:

Electron transport flux per active reaction centre

Fv/F0 :

Size and number of active reaction centres in photosynthetic apparatus

F0/Fv :

Efficiency of water splitting complex

Fv/Fm (φP0):

Maximum quantum efficiency of PS II photochemistry

GS:

Glutamine synthatase

GOGAT:

Glutamate synthase

GDH:

Glutamate dehydrogenase

NR:

Nitrate reductase

NiR:

Nitrite reductase

Psi_0 or Ψ0 :

Yield of electron transport per trapped exciton

Phi_E0 or φE0 :

Quantum yield of electron transport

RC:

Reaction centre

TR0/RC:

Trapped energy flux per active reaction centre

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Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to University of Allahabad, Allahabad for providing necessary facilities. The University Grants Commission, New Delhi is thankfully acknowledged for providing financial assistant to Prof. S.M. Prasad as PI [Project No.: 41–460/2012(SR)] and to Shikha Singh as project fellow to carry out this work. I must acknowledge Prof. Anoop Chaturvedi, Head of the Statistic Department, and Dr. Anita Singh (DST Young Scientist) Department of Botany, University of Allahabad, Allahabad for their kind suggestion regarding statistical analysis.

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  1. Ranjan Plant Physiology and Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Allahabad, Allahabad, 211002, India

    Shikha Singh & Sheo Mohan Prasad

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  1. Shikha Singh
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Correspondence to Sheo Mohan Prasad.

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Singh, S., Prasad, S.M. Effects of 28-homobrassinoloid on key physiological attributes of Solanum lycopersicum seedlings under cadmium stress: Photosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism. Plant Growth Regul 82, 161–173 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-017-0248-5

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