Abstract
Despite the increasing understanding of the crucial roles of glutathione (GSH) in cellular defense against heavy metal stress as well as oxidative stress, little is known about the functional role of exogenous GSH in mercury (Hg) tolerance in plants. Here, we provide compelling evidence that GSH contributes to Hg tolerance in diverse plants. Exogenous GSH did not mitigate the toxicity of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), or zinc (Zn), whereas application of exogenous GSH significantly promoted Hg tolerance during seed germination and seedling growth of Arabidopsis thaliana, tobacco, and pepper. By contrast, addition of buthionine sulfoximine, an inhibitor of GSH biosynthesis, severely retarded seed germination and seedling growth of the plants in the presence of Hg. The effect of exogenous GSH on Hg specific tolerance was also evident in the presence of other heavy metals, such as Cd, Cu, and Zn, together with Hg. GSH treatment significantly decreased H2O2 and O2- levels and lipid peroxidation, but increased chlorophyll content in the presence of Hg. Importantly, GSH treatment resulted in significantly less accumulation of Hg in Arabidopsis plants, and thin layer chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis revealed that GSH had much stronger binding affinity to Hg than to Cd, Cu, or Zn, suggesting that tight binding of GSH to Hg impedes Hg uptake, leading to low Hg accumulation in plant cells. Collectively, the present findings reveal that GSH is a potent molecule capable of conferring Hg tolerance by inhibiting Hg accumulation in plants.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Exogenous GSH promoted Hg tolerance during germination and seedling growth in three plants.
- Taxon
- Arabidopsis thaliana
Arabidopsis thalianae0 - Organ / stage
- seed germination and seedling growthe0
- Treatment
- exogenous GSHe0
- Outcome
- Hg tolerancee0
- Direction
- promotede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“application of exogenous GSH significantly promoted Hg tolerance during seed germination and seedling growth of Arabidopsis thaliana, tobacco, and pepper”
Claim · model-written summary
Exogenous GSH did not mitigate Cd, Cu or Zn toxicity.
- Taxon
- Plantt0
- Treatment
- Exogenous GSHe0
- Outcome
- toxicity of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), or zinc (Zn)e0
- Direction
- did not mitigatee0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Exogenous GSH did not mitigate the toxicity of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), or zinc (Zn)”
t0“Plant”
Claim · model-written summary
Buthionine sulfoximine retarded germination and seedling growth under Hg.
- Taxon
- plantsViridiplantaee0
- Treatment
- buthionine sulfoximinee0
- Outcome
- seed germination and seedling growthe0
- Direction
- retardede0
- Qualifier
- in the presence of Hge0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“addition of buthionine sulfoximine, an inhibitor of GSH biosynthesis, severely retarded seed germination and seedling growth of the plants in the presence of Hg”
Claim · model-written summary
The Hg tolerance effect of exogenous GSH persisted with other heavy metals present.
Verbatim
e0“The effect of exogenous GSH on Hg specific tolerance was also evident in the presence of other heavy metals, such as Cd, Cu, and Zn, together with Hg”
t0“Plant”
Claim · model-written summary
GSH treatment decreased H2O2 and O2- levels and lipid peroxidation under Hg.
- Taxon
- Plantt0
- Treatment
- GSH treatmente0
- Outcome
- H2O2 and O2- levels and lipid peroxidatione0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Qualifier
- in the presence of Hge0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“GSH treatment significantly decreased H2O2 and O2- levels and lipid peroxidation, but increased chlorophyll content in the presence of Hg”
t0“Plant”
Claim · model-written summary
GSH treatment increased chlorophyll content under Hg.
- Taxon
- Plantt0
- Treatment
- GSH treatmente0
- Outcome
- chlorophyll contente0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- in the presence of Hge0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“GSH treatment significantly decreased H2O2 and O2- levels and lipid peroxidation, but increased chlorophyll content in the presence of Hg”
t0“Plant”
Claim · model-written summary
GSH treatment decreased Hg accumulation in Arabidopsis.
- Taxon
- ArabidopsisArabidopsise0
- Treatment
- GSH treatmente0
- Outcome
- accumulation of Hge0
- Direction
- lesse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“GSH treatment resulted in significantly less accumulation of Hg in Arabidopsis plants”
Claim · model-written summary
GSH bound Hg more strongly than Cd, Cu, or Zn.
Verbatim
e0“GSH had much stronger binding affinity to Hg than to Cd, Cu, or Zn”
t0“Plant”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggest GSH binding impedes Hg uptake and lowers cellular accumulation.
Verbatim
e0“tight binding of GSH to Hg impedes Hg uptake, leading to low Hg accumulation in plant cells”
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Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.