Lead bioaccumulation potential of an aquatic macrophyte Najas indica are related to antioxidant system

Review of Pb availability and toxicity to plants in relation with metal speciation; role of synthetic and natural organic ligands

Biogeochemical behavior of lead (Pb), a persistent hazardous pollutant of environmental concern, strongly depends on its chemical speciation. Therefore, in this review, link between Pb speciation: presence of organic ligands and its environmental behavior has been developed. Both, biogeochemical and ecotoxicological data are discussed in environmental risk assessment context and phytoremediation studies. Three kinds of organic ligands selected for this review include: (1) ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA), (2) low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs) and (3) humic substances (HSs). The review highlights the effect of Pb speciation on: (i) Pb fate and behavior in soil; (ii) Pb plant uptake and accumulation in different plant parts; and (iii) Pb-induced phyto-toxicity. Effects of organic ligands on Pb speciation are compared: how they can change Pb speciation modifying accordingly its fate and biogeochemistry in soil-plant system? EDTA forms soluble, stable and phytoavailable Pb-chelates due to high binding Pb affinity. LMWOAs can solubilize Pb in soil by decreasing soil pH or increasing soil organic contents, but have little effect on its translocation. Due to heterogeneous structure, HSs role is complex. In consequence Pb speciation knowledge is needed to discuss phyto-toxicity data and improved soil phytoremediation techniques.

Effects of Pb on the oxidative stress and antioxidant response in a Pb bioaccumulator plant Vallisneria natans

The effects of Pb on photosynthetic pigments, oxidative stress and antioxidant response were assayed using biochemical and histochemical methods in leaves of Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara treated with 0-100 μM Pb(2+) for 0-6d. The Pb content increased with the increase of exposure duration and a highest Pb uptake value (about 9.4 mg Pbg(-1) dry weight) was obtained at 6d. Pb induced the accumulation of H(2)O(2) and O(2)(-). The increase of malondialdehyde content and the decrease of total chlorophyll and carotenoids were detected in V. natans under Pb stress. Activities of NAD(P)H oxidase, guaiacol peroxidase, glutathione reductase and ascorbate peroxidase increased at 75 μM Pb(2+) for 2-6 days, while activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase and the content of ascorbic acid increased within two days in plants exposed to 75 μM Pb(2+) and decreased thereafter. The Pb uptake and accumulation mechanism were discussed.

Aquatic arsenic: phytoremediation using floating macrophytes

Phytoremediation, a plant based green technology, has received increasing attention after the discovery of hyperaccumulating plants which are able to accumulate, translocate, and concentrate high amount of certain toxic elements in their above-ground/harvestable parts. Phytoremediation includes several processes namely, phytoextraction, phytodegradation, rhizofiltration, phytostabilization and phytovolatilization. Both terrestrial and aquatic plants have been tested to remediate contaminated soils and waters, respectively. A number of aquatic plant species have been investigated for the remediation of toxic contaminants such as As, Zn, Cd, Cu, Pb, Cr, Hg, etc. Arsenic, one of the deadly toxic elements, is widely distributed in the aquatic systems as a result of mineral dissolution from volcanic or sedimentary rocks as well as from the dilution of geothermal waters. In addition, the agricultural and industrial effluent discharges are also considered for arsenic contamination in natural waters. Some aquatic plants have been reported to accumulate high level of arsenic from contaminated water. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), duckweeds (Lemna gibba, Lemna minor, Spirodela polyrhiza), water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica), water ferns (Azolla caroliniana, Azolla filiculoides, and Azolla pinnata), water cabbage (Pistia stratiotes), hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) and watercress (Lepidium sativum) have been studied to investigate their arsenic uptake ability and mechanisms, and to evaluate their potential in phytoremediation technology. It has been suggested that the aquatic macrophytes would be potential for arsenic phytoremediation, and this paper reviews up to date knowledge on arsenic phytoremediation by common aquatic macrophytes.

Lead uptake, toxicity, and detoxification in plants

Lead has gained considerable attention as a persistent toxic pollutant of concern,partly because it has been prominent in the debate concerning the growing anthropogenic pressure on the environment. The purpose of this review is to describe how plants take lead up and to link such uptake to the ecotoxicity of lead in plants.Moreover, we address the mechanisms by which plants or plant systems detoxify lead.Lead has many interesting physico-chemical properties that make it a very useful heavy metal. Indeed, lead has been used by people since the dawn of civilization.Industrialization, urbanization, mining, and many other anthropogenic activities have resulted in the redistribution of lead from the earth's crust to the soil and to the environment.Lead forms various complexes with soil components, and only a small fraction of the lead present as these complexes in the soil solution are phyto available. Despite its lack of essential function in plants, lead is absorbed by them mainly through the roots from soil solution and thereby may enter the food chain. The absorption of lead by roots occurs via the apoplastic pathway or via Ca2+-permeable channels.The behavior of lead in soil, and uptake by plants, is controlled by its speciation and by the soil pH, soil particle size, cation-exchange capacity, root surface area,root exudation, and degree of mycorrhizal transpiration. After uptake, lead primarily accumulates in root cells, because of the blockage by Casparian strips within the endodermis. Lead is also trapped by the negative charges that exist on roots' cell walls.Excessive lead accumulation in plant tissue impairs various morphological, physiological, and biochemical functions in plants, either directly or indirectly, and induces a range of deleterious effects. It causes phytotoxicity by changing cell membrane permeability, by reacting with active groups of different enzymes involved in plant metabolism and by reacting with the phosphate groups of ADP or ATP,and by replacing essential ions. Lead toxicity causes inhibition of ATP production, lipid peroxidation, and DNA damage by over production of ROS. In addition, lead strongly inhibits seed germination, root elongation, seedling development, plant growth, transpiration, chlorophyll production, and water and protein content. The negative effects that lead has on plant vegetative growth mainly result from the following factors: distortion of chloroplast ultrastructure, obstructed electron transport,inhibition of Calvin cycle enzymes, impaired uptake of essential elements, such as Mg and Fe, and induced deficiency of CO2 resulting from stomatal closure.Under lead stress, plants possess several defense strategies to cope with lead toxicity. Such strategies include reduced uptake into the cell; sequestration of lead into vacuoles by the formation of complexes; binding of lead by phytochelatins,glutathione, and amino acids; and synthesis of osmolytes. In addition, activation of various antioxidants to combat increased production of lead-induced ROS constitutes a secondary defense system.

Transcriptomic and metabolomic shifts in rice roots in response to Cr (VI) stress

BACKGROUND

Widespread use of chromium (Cr) contaminated fields due to careless and inappropriate management practices of effluent discharge, mostly from industries related to metallurgy, electroplating, production of paints and pigments, tanning, and wood preservation elevates its concentration in surface soil and eventually into rice plants and grains. In spite of many previous studies having been conducted on the effects of chromium stress, the precise molecular mechanisms related to both the effects of chromium phytotoxicity, the defense reactions of plants against chromium exposure as well as translocation and accumulation in rice remain poorly understood.

RESULTS

Detailed analysis of genome-wide transcriptome profiling in rice root is reported here, following Cr-plant interaction. Such studies are important for the identification of genes responsible for tolerance, accumulation and defense response in plants with respect to Cr stress. Rice root metabolome analysis was also carried out to relate differential transcriptome data to biological processes affected by Cr (VI) stress in rice. To check whether the Cr-specific motifs were indeed significantly over represented in the promoter regions of Cr-responsive genes, occurrence of these motifs in whole genome sequence was carried out. In the background of whole genome, the lift value for these 14 and 13 motifs was significantly high in the test dataset. Though no functional role has been assigned to any of the motifs, but all of these are present as promoter motifs in the Database of orthologus promoters.

CONCLUSION

These findings clearly suggest that a complex network of regulatory pathways modulates Cr-response of rice. The integrated matrix of both transcriptome and metabolome data after suitable normalization and initial calculations provided us a visual picture of the correlations between components. Predominance of different motifs in the subsets of genes suggests the involvement of motif-specific transcription modulating proteins in Cr stress response of rice.