Cesium toxicity in Arabidopsis.
Cesium (Cs) is chemically similar to potassium (K). However, although K is an essential element, Cs is toxic to plants. Two contrasting hypotheses to explain Cs toxicity have been proposed: (1) extracellular Cs+ prevents K+ uptake and, thereby, induces K starvation; and (2) intracellular Cs+ interacts with vital K(+)-binding sites in proteins, either competitively or noncompetitively, impairing their activities. We tested these hypotheses with Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Increasing the Cs concentration in the agar ([Cs](agar)) on which Arabidopsis were grown reduced shoot growth. Increasing the K concentration in the agar ([K](agar)) increased the [Cs](agar) at which Cs toxicity was observed. However, although increasing [Cs](agar) reduced shoot K concentration ([K](shoot)), the decrease in shoot growth appeared unrelated to [K](shoot) per se. Furthermore, the changes in gene expression in Cs-intoxicated plants differed from those of K-starved plants, suggesting that Cs intoxication was not perceived genetically solely as K starvation. In addition to reducing [K](shoot), increasing [Cs](agar) also increased shoot Cs concentration ([Cs](shoot)), but shoot growth appeared unrelated to [Cs](shoot) per se. The relationship between shoot growth and [Cs](shoot)/[K](shoot) suggested that, at a nontoxic [Cs](shoot), growth was determined by [K](shoot) but that the growth of Cs-intoxicated plants was related to the [Cs](shoot)/[K](shoot) quotient. This is consistent with Cs intoxication resulting from competition between K+ and Cs+ for K(+)-binding sites on essential proteins.
Hampton
Corrina R
CR
Warwick HRI, Warwick CV35 9EF, United Kingdom.
Bowen
Helen C
HC
Broadley
Martin R
MR
Hammond
John P
JP
Mead
Andrew
A
Payne
Katharine A
KA
Pritchard
Jeremy
J
White
Philip J
PJ
D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D002586:Cesium / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D011188:Potassium / Q000502:physiology
D002586:Cesium; D011188:Potassium