Protective role of exogenous phytohormones on redox status in pea seedlings under copper stress

The present work aims to provide insight on the role of phytohormone application in developing efficient practical defense strategies to improve plants tolerance under heavy metal contamination. For this purpose, pea (Pisum sativum L.) seeds were germinated in an aqueous solution of 200 mu M CuCl2 up to the 3rd day and then continued to germinate in the presence of distilled water (stress cessation) or were subjected to following combinations: Cu + 1 mu M IAA and Cu + 1 mu M GA(3) for 3 additional days. The results showed that copper excess induced oxidative stress in germinating seeds, which resulted in changes of the redox state of glutathione and cysteine, and proteomics revealed Cu-induced modifications of thiols (SH) and carbonyls (CO) (indicators of protein oxidation). However, application of IAA or GA(3) in the germination medium after 3 days of Cu exposure alleviated toxicity on seedlings, despite the persistence of Cu up to 6th day. This improving effect seems to be mediated by a cell Cu accumulation decrease and a protein reduced status recovery, since phytohormones modulate thioredoxin/ferredoxin systems in favor of protecting proteins against oxidation. In addition, an IAA and GA(3) protective effect was evidenced by a cellular homeostasis amelioration resulting from the balance conservation between the regeneration and consumption processes of glutathione and cysteine reduced forms. The exogenous effectors also induced modifications of profiles of SH and CO, suggesting changes in the regulation and expression of proteins that could be involved in defense mechanism against Cu stress

Nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide protect plasma membrane integrity and mitigate chromium-induced methylglyoxal toxicity in maize seedlings

The present study aims to analyse the potential crosstalk between nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulfide (HS) in triggering resilience of maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings to hexavalent chromium (Cr VI). Exogenous application of 500 μM sodium nitroprusside (SNP, as a NO donor) or sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS, as a HS donor) to 9-day-old maize seedlings, countered a Cr (200 μM) -elicited reduction in embryonic axis biomass. Cr caused cellular membrane injury by enhancing the levels of superoxide and hydroxyl radicals as well as methylglyoxal, and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal. The application of SNP or NaHS considerably improved the endogenous NO and HS pool, decreased oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation by suppressing lipoxygenase activity and improving some antioxidant enzymes activities in radicles and epicotyls. Radicles were more affected than epicotyls by Cr-stress with enhanced electrolyte leakage and decreased proton extrusion as indicated by lesser H-ATPase activity. HS appeared to mitigate Cr toxicity through up-regulated H-ATPase and glyoxalase pathways and by maintaining optimal GSH levels as downstream effects of ROS and MG suppression. Hence, HS-mediated the regeneration of GSH pool is associated with the attenuation of MG toxicity by enhancing S-lactoglutathione and D-lactate production. Taken together, our results indicate complementary roles for HS and GSH to strengthen membrane integrity against Cr stress in maize seedlings.The authors are thankful for the financial support from the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Technology (LR18ES38). Work at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, UK was supported by a visiting fellowship grant to Oussama Kharbech. Research in the laboratory of FJC is supported by ERDF co-financed grants financed by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (AGL2015-65104-P) and Junta de Andalucía (group BIO192), Spain