Physiological, biochemical and transcriptomic responses of Medicago sativa to nickel exposure

Metal accumulation in soil could lead to severe damage to plants, animals, and humans. The present work aims to evaluate the effects of nickel (Ni) exposure on Medicago sativa at physiological, biochemical, and transcriptomic levels. Plants were exposed to five increasing concentrations of Ni (0, 50...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Chemosphere (Oxford) 2020-06, Vol.249, p.126121-126121, Article 126121
Main Authors: Helaoui, Sondes, Boughattas, Iteb, Hattab, Sabrine, Mkhinini, Marouane, Alphonse, Vanessa, Livet, Alexandre, Bousserrhine, Noureddine, Banni, Mohamed
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agronomic parameters
Animals
Chlorophyll - metabolism
Gene expression
Malondialdehyde - metabolism
Medicago sativa
Medicago sativa - drug effects
Medicago sativa - physiology
Nickel
Nickel - toxicity
Oxidation-Reduction
Oxidative stress
Oxidative Stress - drug effects
Peroxidase - metabolism
Peroxidases - metabolism
Phytochelatins - metabolism
Plant Roots - metabolism
Soil - chemistry
Soil Pollutants - metabolism
Soil Pollutants - toxicity
Transcriptome - drug effects
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Metal accumulation in soil could lead to severe damage to plants, animals, and humans. The present work aims to evaluate the effects of nickel (Ni) exposure on Medicago sativa at physiological, biochemical, and transcriptomic levels. Plants were exposed to five increasing concentrations of Ni (0, 50, 150, 250, and 500 mg/kg) for 60 days. Agronomic parameters (fresh and dry matter) and chlorophyll content (Chl) were determined in an alfalfa plant. Chemical analyses were conducted, involving the determination of Ni loads in plants (roots and shoots). Moreover, malondialdehyde accumulation (MDA), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and peroxidase activities, termed as oxidative stress biomarkers, were measured. The gene expression levels of Prx1C, GST, and phytochelatins (PCs) were determined at different nickel concentrations. Our results showed that Ni concentration in plants increased significantly along with Ni concentration in the soil. Regarding oxidative stress biomarkers, Ni contamination caused an increase in peroxidase and GST activities, with a remarkable accumulation of MDA, especially for the highest Ni concentration (500 mg/kg of Ni). Our data showed also a significant upregulation of Prx1C and GST genes in shoots and roots. The PCs’ gene expression was significantly enhanced in response to the different nickel concentrations, suggesting their important role in Ni detoxification in alfalfa plants. Our data provided evidence about the clear toxicity of Ni, an often-underestimated trace element. •Medicago sativa accumulated a high rate of Nickel in roots than in shoots.•Peroxidase and GST had been induced to protect cells from oxidative damages.•The PCs gene expression was enhanced in response to the different nickel concentrations.
ISSN:0045-6535
1879-1298
DOI:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126121