Physiological and proteome study of sunflowers exposed to a polymetallic constraint.
The new energy requirements of the growing world population together with the actual ecological trend of phytoremediation have made challenging the cultivation of energetic crops on nonagricultural lands, such as those contaminated with trace elements. In this study, phenotypical characterization and biochemical analyses were combined to emphasize the global response of young sunflowers (Helianthus annuus L.) grown in hydroponic media contaminated with different Cd, Ni, and Zn concentrations. Leaves and roots of sunflowers reaching the stage "2-extended leaves" and exposed to different trace metal concentrations were harvested and analyzed by 2D-DIGE in order to study in depth the molecular responses of the young plants upon the polymetallic exposure. Proteomics confirmed the observed global reduction in growth and development. If photosynthetic light reactions and carbon metabolism were the most affected in leaves, in roots significant disruptions were observed in proteins involved in respiration, oxidative balance, protein and gene expression, and in the induction of programmed cell death. Elemental analyses of the plantlets indicated a profound impact of the treatment resulting in misbalance in essential micronutrients. Altogether, this study highlights the sensitivity of the sunflower to a polymetallic pollution and indicates that its use as a remediative tool of trace element polluted soils is limited.
['Printz|Bruno|B|', 'Sergeant|Kjell|K|', 'Guignard|Cedric|C|', 'Renaut|Jenny|J|', 'Hausman|Jean-Francois|JF|']
D000704:Analysis of Variance D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental D002241:Carbohydrates D006368:Helianthus D019216:Metals, Heavy D018515:Plant Leaves D010940:Plant Proteins D018517:Plant Roots D020543:Proteome D040901:Proteomics D012989:Soil Pollutants D012995:Solubility D014867:Water
Sunflower Phytoremediation Programmed cell death Metal trace elements