Biologia plantarum 48:413-418, 2004 | DOI: 10.1023/B:BIOP.0000041095.50979.b0

Effects of Cadmium on the Metabolic Activity of Avena sativa Plants Grown in Soil or Hydroponic Culture

S. Astolfi1, S. Zuchi1, C. Passera1
1 Dipartimento di Agrobiologia e Agrochimica, Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy, e-mail

Oat (Avena sativa L.) plants cultured in soil and hydroponic culture were treated with cadmium [0.154 mg g-1 (dry soil) and 100 μM CdSO4, respectively] for 21 d and growth rate and various biochemical processes were studied. Applied cadmium reduced plant growth and chlorophyll content. Changes in activity of enzymes involved in C, N and S metabolism and in guaiacol peroxidase activity were observed. In particular, O-acetylserine sulphydrylase (OASS; EC 4.2.99.8) activity was increased by Cd exposure in both growth conditions, probably as a resistance mechanism to cadmium based on the production of phytochelatins. Results show that both field and hydroponic conditions represent suitable systems for investigating Cd effects on plant growth and metabolism.

Keywords: carbon metabolism; nitrogen metabolism; sulphur metabolism; guaiacol peroxidase activity
Subjects: ATP sulphurylase; Avena sativa; cadmium, growth i soil or hydroponics; chlorophyll, cadmium toxicity, detoxification; chlorophyll, hydroponic culture; dithiothreitol; guaiacol peroxidase; heavy metals; hydroponic and soil cultures, growth rate; NAD dependent glutamate dehydrogenase; nitrogen metabolism, growth rate, hydroponic culture; O-acetylserine sulphydrylase; oat, growth rate, hydroponic culture; phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase; protein, cadmium, hydroponic culture; ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase; sulphur metabolism, growth rate, hydroponic culture

Published: September 1, 2004Show citation

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Astolfi, S., Zuchi, S., & Passera, C. (2004). Effects of Cadmium on the Metabolic Activity of Avena sativa Plants Grown in Soil or Hydroponic Culture. Biologia plantarum, 48(3), 413-418. doi: 10.1023/B:BIOP.0000041095.50979.b0.
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