title: Comparative study of responses in four Datura species to a zinc stress.
abstract: The effects of zinc toxicity on the growth and the photosynthetic activities of four Datura species (Datura metel, Datura innoxia, Datura sanguinea, Datura tatula) were studied using various ZnSO4 concentrations (0, 1, 2.5 and 5 mM) added in the Coic Lessaint solution. Growth, photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence and chlorophyll concentration were measured after 20 days of zinc stress. These parameters were severely reduced by this heavy metal. The zinc excess involves the stomate closing, the increase of CO2 concentration in the leaves, the inhibition of certain enzyme of the Calvin cycle, a degradation of photosystem and the chlorophyll decomposition. These phenomena allow the decrease of the net photosynthesis to be partially explained. These key parameters to assess photosynthetic performance allow the plants to be classified according to their resistance to zinc. Compared with the three other species, D. innoxia showed a very strong capacity to protect itself against toxic zinc concentrations; a large amount of ZnSO4 (5 mM) was required to inhibit 43% of the photosynthesis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Stress, Défenses et Reproduction des Plantes, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, UFR des Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, Bâtiment 18, Moulin de la Housse, BP 1039, F-51687 Reims Cedex 2, France. nathalie.vaillant@univ-reims.fr
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vaillant
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Monnet
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hitmi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sallanon
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coudret
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism; D032302:Datura / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005453:Fluorescence; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D013045:Species Specificity; D015032:Zinc / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D002734:Chlorophyll; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D015032:Zinc