Abstract
Seeds of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were germinated by soaking in distilled water or copper chloride solution. The relationships among copper excess treatment, germination rate, dry weight, sugar contents, and carbohydrase activities in cotyledon were investigated. Heavy metal stress provoked a diminution in germination rate and biomass mobilization, as compared with the control. A drastic disorder in soluble sugars export, especially glucose and fructose liberation, was also imposed after exposure to excess copper. This restricted the starch and sucrose breakdown in reserve tissue, as evidenced by the inhibition in the activities of α-amylase and invertase isoenzymes (soluble acid, soluble neutral, cell wall-bound acid).
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Acknowledgments
Financial support for this work was received from the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Technology (99/UR/09-18). The authors wish to thank Dr. Othman Bousandal for help regarding atomic absorption spectrophotometric analyses.
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Sfaxi-Bousbih, A., Chaoui, A. & El Ferjani, E. Copper Affects the Cotyledonary Carbohydrate Status During the Germination of Bean Seed. Biol Trace Elem Res 137, 110–116 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-009-8556-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-009-8556-x