Antioxidative responses of duckweed (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lemna minor</Emphasis> L.) to short-term copper exposure

Goal, Scope and Background

Elevated concentrations of copper in the environment result in accumulation of the metal in plants and cause an increase in reactive oxidative species (ROS). The first response to elevated amounts of ROS is increased levels of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants that reduce oxidative stress. The aim of our study was to evaluate the early stages of antioxidative responses to the low copper concentrations usually present in moderately polluted environments. In addition, some other parameters were examined to evaluate the effect of copper on plants.

Methods

Duckweed (Lemna minor L.) was exposed to different concentrations of copper sulphate for up to 24 hours. Glutathione concentration and enzymatic activities of catalase, guaiacol peroxidase and glutathione reductase were measured spectrophotometrically. Additionally, delayed and prompt chlorophyll fluorescence was measured by luminometry and fluorometry, respectively. The accumulation of copper in plants exposed for 24 hours to various concentrations of copper sulphate was measured by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry.

Results

The treatment of plants with copper sulphate resulted in an immediate decrease of the glutathione pool, which was replenished after 24 hours at CuSO₄ concentrations lower than 2 μM. Higher CuSO₄ concentrations caused a decrease of reduced glutathione. The responses of the antioxidant enzymes glutathione reductase, guaiacol peroxidase and catalase to CuSO₄ differed during the first six hours of exposure, but their enzyme activities all increased after 24 hours of exposure. All these enzymes displayed biphasic activity curves with maximum values between 0.5 μM and 1 μM CuSO₄. The response of guaiacol peroxidase was the most pronounced and statistically significantly specific and that of catalase the least. Delayed chlorophyll fluorescence decreased after exposure to 1 μM CuSO₄, but no significant effect on maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) was observed. L. minor accumulated relatively high concentrations of copper. The accumulation rate was higher at lower concentrations of copper in the test medium (up to 2 μM CuSO₄) than at concentrations above 2 μM CuSO₄.

Discussion

One of the most pronounced antioxidative responses to copper exposure was modified levels of oxidized and reduced forms of glutathione. The decrease of the glutathione pool is most probably coupled with induced production of phytochelatins. Antioxidative enzymes showed the biphasic enzyme activity characteristic of stress response. Guaiacol peroxidase exhibited the greatest significant increase of activity, even at higher CuSO₄ concentrations at which the activity of catalase and glutathione reductase dropped. The intensity of delayed chlorophyll fluorescence decreased, indicating reduced photosynthesis of plants under stress. All the measured parameters showed that plants respond to even low copper concentrations very soon after exposure. The accumulation rate of copper in duckweed tissues indicates that L. minor is an accumulator species.

Conclusions

The synchronized and prompt inducibility of antioxidants indicates their involvement in a general plant defence strategy for coping with metal-induced oxidative stress. Glutathione concentration and guaiacol peroxidase activity were found to be the most sensitive of the early indicators of exposure to copper concentrations present in polluted water bodies.

Recommendation and Perspectives

The experimental design of the present study allowed us to compare the sensitivity of various methods and parameters for detecting plant responses to heavy metal-induced oxidative stress. The level of glutathione and the enzyme activities of guaiacol peroxidase and glutathione reductase could be used as a rapidly determined early warning system in toxicity studies.

     

Cobalt and manganese stress in the microalga Pavlova viridis （Prymnesiophyceae）： Effects on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes

Pollution of marine environment has become an issue of major concern in recent years.Serious environmental pollution by heavy metals results from their increasing utilization in industrial processes and because most heavy metals are transported into the marine environment and accumulated without decomposition.The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects on growth,pigments, lipid peroxidation,and some antioxidant enzyme activities of marine microalga Pavlova viridis,in response to elevated concentrations of cobalt(Co)and manganese(Mn),especially with regard to the involvement of antioxidative defences against heavy metal-induced oxidative stress.In response to Co~(2 ),lipid peroxidation was enhanced compared to the control,as an indication of the oxidative damage caused by metal concentration assayed in the microalgal cells but not Mn~(2 ).Exposure of Pavlova viridis to the two metals caused changes in enzyme activities in a different manner,depending on the metal assayed:after Co~(2 )treatments,total superoxide dismutase(SOD)activity was irregular,although it was not significantly affected by Mn~(2 )exposure.Co~(2 )and Mn~(2 )stimulated the activities of catalase(CAT)and glutathione(GSH),whereas,ghitathione peroxidase(GPX)showed a remarkable increase in activity in response to Co~(2 )treatments and decreased gradually with Mn~(2 )concentration,up to 50μmol/L,and then rose very rapidly,reaching to about 38.98% at 200μmol/L Mn~(2 ).These results suggest that an activation of some antioxidant enzymes was enhanced,to counteract the oxidative stress induced by the two metals at higher concentration.     

Effects of used lubricating oil on two mangroves Aegiceras corniculatum and Avicennia marina

An outdoor experiment was set up to investigate the effects of used lubricating oil(5 L/m~2)on Aegiceras corniculatum Blanco. and Avicennia marina(Forsk)Vierh.,two salt-excreting mangroves.A.marina was more sensitive to used lubricating oil than A. corniculatum and canopy-oiling resulted in more direct physical damage and stronger lethal effects than base-oiling.When treated with canopy-oiling,half of A.corniculatum plants survived for the whole treatment time(90 d);but,for A.marina,high mortality (83%)resulted from canopy-oiling within 3 weeks and no plants survived for 80 d.Base-oiling had no lethal effects on A.corniculatum plants even at the termination of this experiment,but 83% of A.marina plants died 80 d after treatment.Forty days after canopy- oiling,93% ofA.corniculatum leaves fell and no live leaves remained on A.marina plants.By the end of the experiment,base-oiling treatment resulted in about 45% ofA.corniculatum leaves falling,while all A.marina leaves and buds were burned to die.Lubricating oil resulted in physiological damage to A.corniculatum leaves,including decreases in chlorophyll and carotenoid contents,nitrate reductase,peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities,and increases in malonaldehyde contents.For both species,oil pollution significantly reduced leaf,root,and total biomass,but did not significantly affect stem biomass.Oil pollution resulted in damage to the xylem vessels of fine roots but not to those of mediate roots.     

Characterization and phylogenetic analysis of a phenanthrene-degrading strain isolated from oil-contaminated soil

Bacterium strain EVA17 was isolated from an oil-contaminated soil, and identified as Sphingomonas sp.based on analysis of 16S rDNA sequence, cellular fatty acid composition and physiological-chemical tests. The salicylate hydroxylase and catechol 2, 3-dioxygenase (C23O) were detected in cell-free lysates, suggesting a pathway for phenanthrene catabolism via salicylate and catechol. Alignment showed that both of the C23O and GST genes of the strain EVA17 had high similarity with homologues of strains from genus Sphingomonas. The phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rDNA and C23O gene sequence indicated that EVA17 should be classified into genus Sphingomonas, although the two phylogenetic trees were slightly different from each other. The results of co-amplification and sequence determination indicated that GST gene should be located upstream of the C230 gene.     

木质素降解菌的分离鉴定及木素过氧化物酶的纯化

采用苯胺蓝脱色法,从活性污泥中分离筛选得到2株具有分泌木质素降解过氧化物酶能力的细菌菌株PKE117和PKE225.根据生理生化反应结果和16SrDNA序列分析,初步确定菌株PKE117为Pseudomanas属的1个新种,PKE225为Pseudomanas thermaerum的1个新菌株.对于菌株PKE117的发酵液依次经DEAE-纤维素32、Sephadex G-75凝胶过滤纯化,木素过氧化物酶的藜芦醇氧化比活力从0.87U/mg提高到204.5U/mg,酶的纯化倍数为235.1,回收率15%.     

不同形态锌离子对鲫鱼谷胱甘肽系统的影响

研究了在室内模拟条件下,不同形态锌离子(Zn²⁺与Zn-EDTA)长期(40d)暴露对鲫鱼(Crucian curatus)肝脏谷胱甘肽系统的影响.结果表明,在试验剂量范围内,0.10mg/L的Zn²⁺暴露即能引起鲫鱼肝脏中锌显著积累,明显高于Zn-EDTA暴露试验中的积累量.鲫鱼肝脏中谷胱甘肽还原酶(GR)的活性,在Zn²⁺及Zn-EDTA浓度为0.05mg/L(低于渔业水质标准0.10mg/L)时就受到了显著抑制,Zn-EDTA较高浓度(>0.1mg/L)暴露对GR活性的抑制率更大.Zn²⁺对谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GPx)活性、氧化型谷胱甘肽(GSSG)、还原型谷胱甘肽(GSH)的含量及GSH/GSSG均有抑制作用,且存在良好的剂量-效应关系.     

还原型谷胱甘肽调控shewanella oneidensis MR-1降解亚碲酸盐

探讨了生物活性小分子还原型谷胱甘肽（GSH）调控奥奈达湖希瓦氏菌（shewanella oneidensis）MR-1还原亚碲酸盐的特性及机理.结果表明,生物体系中加入0.1,0.4,1.0mmol/L GSH,与空白对照相比,亚碲酸盐的生物还原效率可分别提高55%、71%和78%,且GSH浓度在0.1~1.0mmol/L范围内与亚碲酸盐的生物还原效率呈正相关.采用单因素实验优化了培养条件,在温度35℃,pH 8.0,GSH浓度为0.4mmol/L的条件下,亚碲酸盐生物还原效率在24h内即可达到97%.采用6种不同呼吸抑制剂实验探讨亚碲酸盐生物还原的电子传递路径,确定GSH在亚碲酸盐生物还原电子传递链上的加速位点为NADH还原酶、甲萘醌和FAD脱氢酶.     

氯代硝基苯胺对鲫鱼(Carassius auratus)血清抗氧化酶的影响

研究了2-氯-4-硝基苯胺、4-氯-3-硝基苯胺，2-氯-5-硝基苯胺对斑马鱼的急性毒性，96hLC50分别为6.99,2.58,8.63mg/L，为阐明氯化硝基苯胺类化合物对水生生物抗氧化酶的早期影响，将鲫鱼暴露于梯度浓度的2-氯-4-硝基苯胺，4-氯-3-硝基苯胺，2-氯-5-硝基苯胺中，研究鲫鱼血清SOD和GSH-PX活性短期（48h)内的变化，研究结果表明，在实验设置浓度下，随着暴露浓度升高，与空白对照组相比，3种化合物对SOD活性表现为先轻微激活后抑制，对GSH-PX活性先激活再抑制后有所回升，表明3种化合物对鲫鱼血清SOD和GSH-PX活性有显著影响，与3种化合物96hLC50相比，引起生化效应的暴露浓度明显降低，且反应快速，可考虑SOD和GSH-PX酶活性相结合作为该类化合物对水环境污染胁迫的敏感生物指示物。     

土壤重金属污染的酶学诊断——紫色土中的镉、铜、铅、砷对水稻根系过氧化物酶的影响

通过四川酸性紫色土、中性紫色土,石灰性紫色土中不同浓度的Cd、Cu、Pb、As对水稻根系过氧化物酶的影响研究,揭示了过氧化物酶受抑制与产生抗性的过程.在低浓度时,上述元素对过氧化物酶的影响能反映土壤类型影响的差别.确定了三种紫色土中Cd、Cu、Pb、As的临界浓度.     

联苯胺对线粒体抗氧化酶活性及同工酶的影响

不同浓度联苯胺(0.5,1.0,1.5,2.0mg/mL),以体外染毒方式作用于武昌鱼-团头鲂(Megalobrama amblycephala)肝脏线粒体,研究了武昌鱼肝脏线粒体两种主要抗氧化酶[谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-Px)和超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)]活性的变化,用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳法分析了其同工酶谱.结果显示0.5,1.0mg/mL联苯胺激活GSH-Px, 0.5mg/mL联苯胺激活SOD,而1.5, 2.0mg/mL联苯胺抑制这两种酶的活性;另外,在GSH-Px同工酶谱中呈现出特异性标志酶gsh4.