Brassica napus responses to short-term excessive copper treatment with decrease of photosynthetic pigments, differential expression of heavy metal homeostasis genes including activation of gene NRAMP4 involved in photosystem II stabilization.

In the present study, the influence of 50 and 100 µM CuSO4 was investigated starting from 3 h till 72 h treatment of 4-weeks Brassica napus plants. High CuSO4 concentrations in nutrient medium resulted in the rapid copper accumulation in plants, especially in roots, much slower and to lower degree in leaves. Copper excess induced early decrease in the leaf water content and temporary leaf wilting. The decrease in content of photosynthetic pigments became significant to 24 h of excessive copper treatments and reached 35 % decrease to 72 h, but there were no significant changes in maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II photochemistry. The copper excess affected the expression of ten genes involved in heavy metal homeostasis and copper detoxification. The results showed the differential and organ-specific expression of most genes. The potential roles of copper-activated genes encoding heavy metal transporters (ZIP5, NRAMP4, YSL2, and MRP1), metallothioneins (MT1a and MT2b), low-molecular chelator synthesis enzymes (PCS1 and NAS2), and metallochaperones (CCS and HIPP06) in heavy metal homeostasis and copper ion detoxification were discussed. The highest increase in gene expression was shown for NRAMP4 in leaves in spite of relatively moderate Cu accumulation there. The opinion was advanced that the NRAMP4 activation can be considered among the early reactions in the defense of the photosystem II against copper excess.

[Effects of water deficiency on mitochondrial functions and polymorphism of respiratory enzymes in plants].

In plants, adaptive-compensatory responses to stress always entail additional energy expenditure. A suggestion was brought forward that in plants growing under conditions of water stress there is a relationship between genetic variability of respiratory enzymes and their functional significance. With Kochia prostrate (L.) Schrad. as a case study, intraspecies genetic polymorphism under the conditions of drought has been analyzed using typical protein markers which, considering their functional importance, can be viewed as respiratory enzymes. Out of eight protein markers examined, four enzymes were singled out for which dominating combination of genotypes Dia B (a), G6pd (a), Gdh (c), and Mdh A (a) was incidental. In all populations from arid and semiarid zone, these genotypes frequency of occurrence was in the range of 0.53-1.0, i.e., it comprised more than 50% of the whole variety of combinations. Thus, it seems plausible that this combination of genotypes can be an "adaptive collection" for K. prostrata populations growing in arid habitats. A characteristic feature of the picked out enzymes is their belonging to NAD(P)(+)-depending oxidoreductases that play a key role in functioning and redox-regulation of respiratory metabolism in course of adapting to water deficiency. It is suggested that the presence of such well-balanced co-adaptive genotype combinations, that provide enzymes important in terms of energetics, determine the formation of energetic and redox-balances during the process of adaptation to water stress.

[Involvement of salicylic acid and nitric oxide in protective reactions of wheat under the influence of heavy metals].

This article studies the effect of salicylic acid (SA) and nitric oxide (NO) on Triticum aestivum L. wheat plants exposed to the influence of high concentrations of copper and zinc compounds. It is shown that heavy metals (HMs) caused a decrease in the growth parameters in the overground and underground plant parts and contributed to a sharp deterioration in the energy balance and the situation regarding oxidative stress. SA and NO exerted a protective effect, which was expressed in the increased ability to accumulate shoot and root mass, stabilize the energy balance, and reduced lipid peroxidation.

[Energy balance of a plant under normal and unfavourable conditions]. / Energeticheskii balans tselogo rasteniia v norme i pri neblagopriiatnykh vneshnikh usloviiakh.

Two main components of plant energy balance are analyzed--photosynthesis and dark respiration. Different plant species, growing in optimal conditions and differing in photosynthetic metabolism, productivity and potential resistance to stress, have constant ratio between total dark respiration and grossphotosynthesis. The ratio about 38-40% at the phase of active growth. This value reflect plant state, when income (assimilation) is maximized, and expense (total oxidation) is minimized. Intensities of dark respiration of plants in darkness and light are similar despite the fact that the plants have considerable differences: 1) different carbon sources--young assimilates in light and reserve ones in the dark; 2) biochemical modifications (or inhibition) of some stages of dark respiration in light; 3) intensification of alternative respiration in unfavourable conditions differing in dark and light variants. Ratio between intensity of dark respiration and photosynthesis increases in plants growing in unfavourable conditions. This increase is more considerable in plants that are less resistant to the given stress. Characters of energy balance can be used for estimation of physiological status of plants, prediction of resistance and potential productivity at seedling stage.