Inhibition of nitrogen fixation in symbiotic Medicago truncatula upon Cd exposure is a local process involving leghaemoglobin.

ABSTRACT: Leguminous biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is very sensitive to environmental fluctuations. It is still contentious how BNF is regulated under stress conditions. The local or systemic control of BNF and the role played by reactive oxygen species (ROS) in such regulation have still not been elucidated completely. Cadmium, which belongs to the so-called heavy metals, is one of the most toxic substances released into the environment. The mechanisms involved in Cd toxicity are still not completely understood but the overproduction of ROS is one of its characteristic symptoms. In this work, we used a split-root system approach to study nodule BNF and the antioxidant machinery's response to the application of a mild Cd treatment on one side of a nodulated Medicago truncatula root system. Cd i

SUBMITTER: Marino D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3871818 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature