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Mechanisms of cadmium-stress avoidance by selenium in tomato plants

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Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) is probably the most damaging metal to plant species; with a long biological half-life, it can be taken up by plants, disrupting the cell homeostasis and triggering several metabolic pathways. Selenium (Se) improves plant defence systems against stressful conditions, but the biochemical antioxidant responses to Cd stress in tomato plants is poorly understood. To further address the relationship of Cd-stress responses with Se mineral uptake, Cd and Se concentration, proline content, MDA and H2O2 production, and the activity of SOD, APX, CAT and GR enzymes were analyzed in Micro-Tom (MT) plants submitted to 0.5 mM Cd. The results revealed different responses according to Se combination and Cd application. For instance, roots and leaves of MT plants treated with Se exhibited an increase in dry mass and nutritional status, exhibited lower proline content and higher APX and GR activities when compared with plants with no Se application. Plants submitted to 0.5 mM Cd, irrespective of Se exposure, exhibited lower proline, MDA and H2O2 content and higher SOD, CAT and GR activities. Selenium may improve tolerance against Cd, which allowed MT plants exhibited less oxidative damage to the cell, even under elevated Cd accumulation in their tissues. The results suggest that Se application is an efficient management technique to alleviate the deleterious effects of Cd-stress, enhancing the nutritional value and activity of ROS-scavenging enzymes in tomato plants.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank to Prof. Dr José Carlos Barbosa (Universidade Estadual Paulista—UNESP—Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias. Departamento de Ciências Exatas, Brazil) for the collaboration in statistical analyses.

Funding

This work was funded by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estadode São Paulo (FAPESP - Grant n°2017/04787-6); PLG also thanks Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for the research fellowship (Grant nº 314380/2018-3) – Brazil; Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) (L.R.A.) for the scholarship granted (Finance Code 001).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV), Departamento de Biologia Aplicada à Agropecuária, Jaboticabal, SP, CEP 14884-900, Brazil

    Leticia Rodrigues Alves, Emilaine Rocha Prado, Reginaldo de Oliveira & Priscila Lupino Gratão

  2. Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA), Laboratório de Nutrição Mineral de Plantas, Piracicaba, SP, CEP 13418-900, Brazil

    Elcio Ferreira Santos

  3. Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV), Departamento de Fitossanidade, Jaboticabal, SP, CEP 14884-900, Brazil

    Ivana Lemos de Souza

  4. Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências e Engenharia, Laboratório de Biologia, Tupã, SP, CEP 17602-496, Brazil

    André Rodrigues dos Reis

  5. Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ), Depto. de Genética, Piracicaba, SP, 13418-900, Brazil

    Ricardo Antunes Azevedo

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  1. Leticia Rodrigues Alves
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  2. Emilaine Rocha Prado
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  3. Reginaldo de Oliveira
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  4. Elcio Ferreira Santos
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  8. Priscila Lupino Gratão
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Correspondence to Priscila Lupino Gratão.

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Alves, L.R., Prado, E.R., de Oliveira, R. et al. Mechanisms of cadmium-stress avoidance by selenium in tomato plants. Ecotoxicology 29, 594–606 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-020-02208-1

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