title: Salicylic Acid and Sodium Salicylate Alleviate Cadmium Toxicity to Different Extents in Maize (Zea mays L.).
abstract: The role of salicylic acid in Cd tolerance has attracted more attention recently but no information is available on the efficiency of different forms of salicylic acid. The aim was thus to investigate whether both the acid and salt forms of salicylic acid provide protection against Cd stress and to compare their mode of action. Young maize plants were grown under controlled environmental conditions. One group of 10-day-old seedlings were treated with 0.5 mM SA or NaSA for 1 day then half of the pants were treated with 0.5 mM Cd for 1 day. Another group of seedlings was treated with 0.5 mM CdSO4 for 1 day without pre-treatment with SA or NaSA, while a third group was treated simultaneously with Cd and either SA or NaSA. Both salicylic acid forms reduced the Cd accumulation in the roots. Treatment with the acidic form meliorated the Cd accumulation in the leaves, while Na-salicylate increased the phytochelatin level in the roots and the amount of salicylic acid in the leaves. Furthermore, increased antioxidant enzyme activity was mainly induced by the acid form, while glutathione-related redox changes were influenced mostly by the salt form. The acidic and salt forms of salicylic acid affected the two antioxidant systems in different ways, and the influence of these two forms on the distribution and detoxification of Cd also differed. The present results also draw attention to the fact that generalisations about the stress protective mechanisms induced by salicylic acid are misleading since different forms of SA may exert different effects on the plants via separate mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Physiology, Agricultural Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Martonvásár, Hungary.
authors.forename: Orsolya Kinga
authors.initials: OK
authors.lastname: Gondor
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Physiology, Agricultural Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Martonvásár, Hungary.
authors.forename: Magda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pál
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Physiology, Agricultural Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Martonvásár, Hungary.
authors.forename: Éva
authors.initials: É
authors.lastname: Darkó
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Physiology, Agricultural Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Martonvásár, Hungary.
authors.forename: Tibor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Janda
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Physiology, Agricultural Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Martonvásár, Hungary.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Szalai
mesh_terms: D019881:Aminoacyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000032:analysis; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000032:analysis; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010544:Peroxidases / Q000378:metabolism; D054811:Phytochelatins / Q000378:metabolism; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D020156:Salicylic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D036226:Seedlings / Q000187:drug effects; D012980:Sodium Salicylate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D003313:Zea mays / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D002104:Cadmium; D002734:Chlorophyll; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D054811:Phytochelatins; D010544:Peroxidases; D002374:Catalase; D005980:Glutathione Reductase; D019881:Aminoacyltransferases; C093784:glutathione gamma-glutamylcysteinyltransferase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D020156:Salicylic Acid; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D012980:Sodium Salicylate