Effects of a root-colonized dark septate endophyte on the glutathione metabolism in maize plants under cadmium stress
2017
Fangdong Zhan | Bo Li | Ming Jiang | Li Qin | Jixiu Wang | Yongmei He | Yuan Li
A high Cd-tolerant dark septate endophyte (DSE), Exophiala pisciphila, was inoculated into maize (Zea mays L.) roots under Cd stress. The Cd content, enzymes activity and thiol compound content relevant to glutathione (GSH) metabolism in maize leaves were analyzed. The Cd content in maize shoots increased with increasing Cd stress, but the DSE significantly reduced the Cd content at the 40 mg/kg Cd treatment. Cd stress increased the enzyme activity of glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) as well as the thiol compound contents of sulfur, thiols (-SH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG). The content of reduced GSH and the GSH/GSSG ratio reached a peak at the 5 mg/kg Cd treatment but then decreased with increasing Cd stress. Furthermore, the DSE significantly enhanced the GR and GSH-Px activity and increased the contents of -SH and GSH under low Cd stress (5 and 10 mg/kg), but decreased the γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase and GST activity under high Cd stress (20 and 40 mg/kg). Highly positive correlations between the Cd content with enzymes activity and enzymes activity with thiol compound content were observed. Results indicated that DSE played a role in activating GSH metabolism in maize leaves under Cd stress.
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