Fly-ash induced synthesis of phytochelatins in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) plants
Gupta, D.K.; Rai, U.N.; Tripathi, R.D.; Sinha, S.; Rai, P.; Inouhe, M.
Journal of Environmental Biology 26(3): 539-546
2005
ISSN/ISBN: 0254-8704 PMID: 16334294 Document Number: 593324
An experiment was conducted in Uttar Pradesh, India, to study phytochelatin (PC) induction in C. arietinum (cultivars CSG-8962 and C-235) seeds sown on fly ash (FA) amended with different concentrations of garden soil (GS) and pressmud (PM). Treatments comprised: 50% FA with 50% GS; 25% FA with 75% GS; 10% FA with 90% GS, and 100% FA in earthen pots. Similarly, various PM amendments with FA were prepared. Plants grown in 100% GS served as the control. Both cultivars induced PCs under FA stress. PCs and related metabolites (cysteine and glutathione) were induced in the shoots of both cultivars grown under different amendments of FA with GS and PM. Cysteine, glutathione, PCs and their speciation were higher in amended FA than in the control (100% GS). Two metal-binding peptides (i.e. PC2 and PC4) were found in both cultivars and amendments, however, their concentrations varied depending on the FA concentrations in both amendments. CSG-8962 was more tolerant than C-235 because of higher concentrations of PCs and related metabolites.