Cadmium-induced changes in the membrane lipid composition of maize plants

The effect of 10, 25 and 50 μM Cd(NO 3 ) 2 on the fatty acid composition was investigated in young maize seedlings ( Zea mays L., hybrid Norma). After 7 days’ exposure to cadmium slight changes were observed in the fatty acid composition, which were more pronounced in the roots than in the leaves. In the leaves cadmium did not affect the lipid composition of the monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) or digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG) fractions, while in the phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylglycerol (PG) fractions there was a decrease in the proportion of hexadecanoic acid (16:0) and an increase in the level of linoleic acid (18:2) and linolenic acid (18:3). The proportion of trans -Δ3-hexadecanoic acid in leaf PG also decreased. In the roots significant changes were observed in all the fractions examined after Cd stress. In the MGDG the level of stearic acid (18:0) and oleic acid (18:1) decreased, but that of 18:2 and 18:3 increased. In the case of PE the amount of 16:0 decreased, while that of 18:0, 18:1 and 18:3 increased. In the PG fraction the proportion of 16:0, 18:0 and 18:1 decreased, while that of 18:2 increased. The ratio of 16:0 also decreased in the DGDG fraction, while that of 18:0, 18:1 and 18:2 increased. The changes in the fatty acid composition were associated with an increase in the double-bond index and in the percentage of unsaturation in leaf PG, and in the MGDG, PG and DGDG fractions in the roots

Role of Reactive Oxygen Species in Abiotic and Biotic Stresses in Plants

Biotic and abiotic stresses induce increased formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) through distinct pathways: pathogen infections activate specific ROS-producing enzymes (i.e. NADPH oxidase, cell wall peroxidases), which results in accumulation of cellular or intercellular ROS, such as superoxide or hydrogen peroxide. Abiotic stresses, on the other hand, cause elevated ROS production principally through an impairment of photosynthetic and respiratory electron transport pathways. Also, these two types of stresses have diverse effects on the antioxidant system of the plant. Results of experiments studying the interaction of abiotic and biotic stresses largely depend on the degree of the applied abiotic stress treatment, the compatible or incompatible host-pathogen interaction and the timing of inoculation in relation to the timing of a preceding abiotic stress treatment

Protective effect of the naturally occurring, biologically active compound S-methylmethionine in maize seedlings exposed to a short period of cold

The work was aimed at investigating short-term metabolic changes caused by S-methylmethionine (SMM) and at clarifying the gene expression background of these changes in order to gain a better understanding of the protective effect of SMM against stress. When examining the expression of genes coding for the enzymes responsible for the biosynthesis of polyamines, which play an important role in responses to low temperature stress, and that of the C-repeat binding transcription factor (CBF1) gene, it was found that both SMM and cold treatment increased the expression of genes responsible for the polyamine synthesis pathway starting from arginine. It caused only a slight increase when applied alone, but when SMM pre-treatment was followed by cold stress, it resulted in a considerable extent of up-regulation. SMM caused a similar increase in the expression of CBF1. The changes in the expression of genes responsible for the polyamine synthesis were clearly reflected in changes in the putrescine and agmatine contents, while the greater increase in the spermidine content was indicative of the role of SMM as a direct precursor in spermidine biosynthesis. The results demonstrated that, in addition to its direct effect on the sulphur metabolism and on polyamine biosynthesis, the protective effect of exogenous SMM was chiefly manifested in its influence on the expression of genes responsible for the biosynthesis of the polyamines important for stress responses and on the CBF1 transcription factor gene that acts as a regulator in cold stress