title: Thiourea orchestrates regulation of redox state and antioxidant responses to reduce the NaCl-induced oxidative damage in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.).
abstract: Thiourea (TU) has been found to enhance the stress tolerance of plants in our earlier field trials. In the present study, the TU mediated effect on the redox and antioxidant responses were studied in response to salinity (NaCl) stress in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.) seedlings. Biochemical analyses of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation revealed that TU supplementation to NaCl brought down their levels to near control values as compared to that of NaCl stress. These positive effects could be correlated to the significant increases in the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)-radical scavenging activity, in the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and GSH/GSSG (reduced/oxidized glutathione) ratio and in the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD; EC 1.1.5.1.1) and glutathione reductase (GR; EC 1.6.4.2) in NaCl+TU treatment as compared to that of NaCl treatment. Further, TU supplementation allowed plants to avoid an over-accumulation of pyridine nucleotides, to stimulate alternative pathways (through higher glycolate oxidase activity; EC 1.1.3.15) for channeling reducing equivalents and thus, to maintain the redox state to near control levels. These positive responses were also linked to an increased energy utilization (analyzed in terms of ATP/ADP ratio) and presumably to an early signaling of the stress through stimulated activity of ascorbate oxidase (EC 1.10.3.3), an important component of stress signaling. A significant reduction observed in the level of sodium ion (Na(+)) accumulation indicated that TU mediated tolerance is attributable to salt avoidance. Thus, the present study suggested that TU treatment regulated redox and antioxidant machinery to reduce the NaCl-induced oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Agriculture and Biotechnology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, India. ashishbarc@gmail.com
authors.forename: Ashish K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.forename: Sudhakar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.forename: Suprasanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Penna
authors.forename: Stanislaus F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: D'Souza
mesh_terms: D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000429:Alcohol Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001204:Ascorbate Oxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects*; D009149:Mustard Plant / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010851:Picrates / Q000378:metabolism; D011725:Pyridines / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D055049:Salt Tolerance; D036226:Seedlings / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013890:Thiourea / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D010851:Picrates; D011725:Pyridines; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D012964:Sodium; C004931:1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl; D000429:Alcohol Oxidoreductases; C020821:glycollate oxidase; D001204:Ascorbate Oxidase; D013890:Thiourea