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Heavy metal-induced oxidative damage, defense reactions, and detoxification mechanisms in plants

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Abstract

Heavy metal (HMs) contamination is widespread globally due to anthropogenic, technogenic, and geogenic activities. The HMs exposure could lead to multiple toxic effects in plants by inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS), which inhibit most cellular processes at various levels of metabolism. ROS being highly unstable could play dual role (1) damaging cellular components and (2) act as an important secondary messenger for inducing plant defense system. Cells are equipped with enzymatic and non-enzymatic defense mechanisms to counteract this damage. Some are constitutive and others that are activated only when a stress-specific signal is perceived. Enzymatic scavengers of ROS include superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase, and peroxidase, while non-enzymatic antioxidants are glutathione, ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol, flavonoids, anthocyanins, carotenoids, and organic acids. The intracellular and extracellular chelation mechanisms of HMs are associated with organic acids such as citric, malic and oxalic acid, etc. The important mechanism of detoxification includes metal complexation with glutathione, amino acids, synthesis of phytochelatins and sequestration into the vacuoles. Excessive stresses induce a cascade, MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) pathway and synthesis of metal-detoxifying ligands. Metal detoxification through MAPK cascade and synthesis of metal-detoxifying ligands will be of considerable interest in the field of plant biotechnology. Further, the photoprotective roles of pigments of xanthophylls cycle under HMs stress were also discussed.

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Abbreviations

AE:

Accumulating ecotype

APX:

Ascorbate peroxidases

AsA:

Ascorbic acid

CAT:

Catalase

Cys:

Cysteine

DHA:

Dehydroascorbate

ETC:

Electron transport chain

Glu:

Glutamine

Gly:

Glycine

GR:

Glutathione reductase

GSH:

Glutathione (reduced)

GSSG:

Glutathione (oxidized)

GST:

Glutathione-S-transferase

HMs:

Heavy metals

H2O2 :

Hydrogen peroxide

LOX:

Lipoxygenase

LP:

Lipid peroxidation

MAPK:

Mitogen-activated protein kinase

MAPKK:

MAPK kinase

MAPKKK:

MAPK kinase kinase

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

MDHA:

Monodehydroascorbate

NAD+ :

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (oxidized)

NADH:

Reduced NAD

NADP+ :

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (oxidized)

NADPH:

Reduced NADP

NAE:

Non-accumulating ecotype

O •−2 :

Superoxide radical

PCs:

Phytochelatins

PCS:

Phytochelatins synthase

POD:

Peroxidases

PSII:

Photosystem II

PSI:

Photosystem I

PUFA:

Poly unsaturated fatty acids

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

SQDG:

Sulfoquinovosyldiacyglycerol

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Acknowledgments

O.S. gratefully acknowledges the award of 3-month research training scholarship by the Centre for International Co-operation in Science (CICS) (Formerly CCSTDS) Chennai, India, which was hosted by MNVP. A.K. gratefully acknowledges University of Hyderabad Research Scholarship through the University Grant Commission, New Delhi. M.N.V.P. gratefully acknowledge the award of Pitamber Pant National Environment Fellowship by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, GOI, New Delhi (MoEF Ref. No. 17/3/2010-RE Dt 29-2-2012).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India

    Oksana Sytar, Abhay Kumar & M. N. V. Prasad

  2. Department of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Kyiv National University of Taras Shevchenko, Volodymyrskya str. 64, Kyiv, 01033, Ukraine

    Oksana Sytar

  3. Departament of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa str. 7, 30-387, Krakow, Poland

    Dariusz Latowski, Paulina Kuczynska & Kazimierz Strzałka

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  2. Abhay Kumar
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  3. Dariusz Latowski
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  4. Paulina Kuczynska
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  5. Kazimierz Strzałka
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  6. M. N. V. Prasad
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. N. V. Prasad.

Additional information

Communicated by A. K. Kononowicz.

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Sytar, O., Kumar, A., Latowski, D. et al. Heavy metal-induced oxidative damage, defense reactions, and detoxification mechanisms in plants. Acta Physiol Plant 35, 985–999 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-012-1169-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-012-1169-6

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