title: Physiological responses and tolerance mechanisms to Pb in two xerophils: Salsola passerina Bunge and Chenopodium album L.
abstract: Lead (Pb) has great toxicity to human beings and other livings. Although there are varied ways to rehabilitate the Pb contaminated area, phytoremediation of Pb pollution in arid lands is still a difficult task, it is therefore urgent to find and identify Pb tolerant plants in arid areas. The physiological responses and tolerance mechanisms to Pb stress (expressed as the Pb concentration, e.g., 0, 50, 150, 300, 600, 800, 1000 mg/L) were investigated for the xerophils Salsola passerina Bunge and Chenopodium album L. Results indicated that S. passerina exhibited higher Pb tolerance than Ch. album in terms of the seed germination rate, bio-activities of SOD and POD, and lower MDA production. There were two ways for S. passerina to reduce Pb toxicity in organism level, e.g., cell wall precipitation and state transfer of free Pb into anchorage. These findings demonstrate that S. passerina is a Pb tolerant species and may have potential application in phytoremediation of Pb contaminated arid lands.
authors.affiliation: Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Yan-Xia
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Ya-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xin-Ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D027463:Chenopodium album / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018525:Germination / Q000187:drug effects; D007854:Lead / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D031248:Salsola / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D036226:Seedlings / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D012639:Seeds / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D007854:Lead; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D009195:Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase