title: Responses of Lemna trisulca L. (Duckweed) exposed to low doses of cadmium: thiols, metal binding complexes, and photosynthetic pigments as sensitive biomarkers of ecotoxicity.
abstract: Lemna species are reported to accumulate a variety of metals from contaminated/polluted sites. Cadmium is a nonessential element for plant metabolism. In this work, we aimed to investigate physiological responses to low doses of cadmium (up to 100 microM). From exposure to the lowest Cd concentration (1 microM) to the highest (100 microM), photosynthetic pigments (Chl a, b, carotenoids) and the ratios of Chl a/b, Chl (a + b)/carotenoids decreased as a function of the Cd dose. The content of soluble proteins decreased in a dose-dependent manner, while total soluble thiols drastically increased. In Cd-treated fronds, the dose-dependent accumulation of a polypeptide with an apparent molecular weight of 24 kDa, as well as the appearance of two smaller polypeptides with molecular weights <6.5 kDa, was observed in sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Our results show that in Lemna trisulca, different adaptative mechanisms may be involved in counterbalancing low and high doses of a particular toxicant (cadmium). This feature makes this plant potentially useful material in biomonitoring and phytotoxicity testing.
authors: Department of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
authors: Przemysław
authors: P
authors: Malec
authors: Maria G
authors: MG
authors: Maleva
authors: M N V
authors: MN
authors: Prasad
authors: Kazimierz
authors: K
authors: Strzałka
mesh_terms: D029064:Araceae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002104:Cadmium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D054750:Ecotoxicology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D010940:Plant Proteins; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D002104:Cadmium