title: Determination of stress responses induced by aluminum in maize (Zea mays).
abstract: To assess the alternative responses to aluminum toxicity, maize (Zea mays L. cv Karadeniz yıldızı) roots were exposed to different concentrations of AlCl3 (150, 300 and 450 μM). Aluminum reduced the root elongation by 39.6% in 150 μM, 44.1% in 300 μM, 50.1% in 450 μM AlCl3 after 96 h period. To correlate the root elongation with the alternative stress responses including aluminum accumulation, lipid peroxidation, mitotic abnormalities, reduction of starch content, intracellular Ca2+ accumulation, callose formation, lignin deposition and peroxidase activity, cytochemical and biochemical tests were performed. The results indicated that aluminum accumulation and lipid peroxidation were observed more densely on the root cap and the outer cortex cells. In addition to morphological deformations, cytochemical analysis displayed cellular deformations. Furthermore, mitotic abnormalities were observed such as c-mitosis, micronuclei, bi- and trinucleated cells in aluminum treated root tips. Aluminum treatment induced starch reduction, callose formation, lignin accumulation and intracellular Ca2+ increase. Moreover, the peroxidase activity increased significantly by 3, 4.4 and 7.7 times higher than in that of control after 96 h, respectively. In conclusion, aluminum is significantly stressful in maize culminating in morphological and cellular alterations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Marmara University, Göztepe, İstanbul Turkey. filiz.vardar@gmail.com
authors.forename: Filiz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vardar
authors.forename: Işil
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ismailoğlu
authors.forename: Deniz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Inan
authors.forename: Meral
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Unal
mesh_terms: D000535:Aluminum / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005936:Glucans / Q000378:metabolism; D008031:Lignin / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008938:Mitosis / Q000187:drug effects; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D003313:Zea mays / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005936:Glucans; D008031:Lignin; C048306:callose; D000535:Aluminum; D002118:Calcium