Response of cytokinins and nitrogen metabolism in the fronds of Pteris sp. under arsenic stress
Open Access
- 15 May 2020
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Public Library of Science (PLoS) in PLOS ONE
- Vol. 15 (5), e0233055
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233055
Abstract
Given the close relationship between cytokinins (CKs), photosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism, this study assessed the effect of arsenic (As) contamination on these metabolic components in the As-hyperaccumulators Pteris cretica L. var. Albo-lineata (Pc-A) and var. Parkerii (Pc-P) as well as the As-non-hyperaccumulator Pteris straminea Mett. ex Baker (Ps). The ferns were cultivated in a pot experiment for 23 weeks in soil spiked with As at the levels 20 and 100 mg.kg(-1). For the purpose of this study, the CKs were placed into five functionally different groups according to their structure and physiological roles: bioactive forms (bCKs; CK free bases); inactive or weakly active forms (dCKs; CK N-glucosides); transport forms (tCKs; CK ribosides); storage forms (sCKs; O-glucosides); and primary products of CK biosynthesis (ppbCKs; CK nucleotides). An important finding was higher CKs total content, accumulation of sCKs and reduction of dCKs in As-hyperaccumulators in contrast to non-hyperaccumulator ferns. A significant depletion of C resources was confirmed in ferns, especially Ps, which was determined by measuring the photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll fluorescence. A fluorescence decrease signified a reduction in the C/N ratio, inducing an increase of bioactive CKs forms in Pc-P and Ps. The impact of As on N utilization was significant in As-hyperaccumulators. The glutamic acid/glutamine ratio, an indicator of primary N assimilation, diminished in all ferns with increased As level in the soil. In conclusion, the results indicate a large phenotypic diversity of Pteris species to As and suggest that the CKs composition and the glutamic acid/glutamine ratio can be used as a tool to diagnose As stress in plants.Keywords
Funding Information
- Grantová Agentura České Republiky (17-10591S)
- European Regional Development Fund (CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000738)
- European Regional Development Fund (CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000845)
This publication has 78 references indexed in Scilit:
- Enhanced drought and heat stress tolerance of tobacco plants with ectopically enhanced cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase gene expressionJournal of Experimental Botany, 2013
- Hormonal Interactions in the Regulation of Plant DevelopmentAnnual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology, 2012
- Trace elements present in airborne particulate matter—Stressors of plant metabolismEcotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 2012
- The effects of arsenic and induced-phytoextraction methods on photosynthesis in Pteris species with different arsenic-accumulating abilitiesEnvironmental and Experimental Botany, 2012
- Arsenic Toxicity: The Effects on Plant MetabolismFrontiers in Physiology, 2012
- The protective action of cytokinins on the photosynthetic machinery and productivity of plants under stress (review)Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology, 2009
- Senescence progression in a single darkened cotyledon depends on the light status of the other cotyledon in Cucurbita pepo (zucchini) seedlings: potential involvement of cytokinins and cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase activityPhysiologia Plantarum, 2008
- The role of cytokinins in responses to water deficit in tobacco plants over‐expressing trans‐zeatin O‐glucosyltransferase gene under 35S or SAG12 promotersPlant, Cell & Environment, 2007
- Direct control of shoot meristem activity by a cytokinin-activating enzymeNature, 2007
- Ectopic over-expression of the maize β-glucosidase Zm-p60.1 perturbs cytokinin homeostasis in transgenic tobaccoJournal of Experimental Botany, 2006