Modulation of Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorous (P) Supply Influence Arsenite [As (III)]-Induced Stress Responses in Developing Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Seedlings
摘要
Nutrient management is one of the emerging approaches for abiotic stress mitigation in crop plants. It involves modulation of various nutrient inputs to ameliorate and ease the impact of stressor in physiological and cellular functions, thereby supporting improved growth, yield and crop quality. In the present study, we investigated the role of nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) modulation on arsenite [As (III)]-induced stress responses in developing rice seedlings. As(III) stress was imposed for 10 days that resulted in significant decline in root and shoot growth, biomass, chlorophyll content along with the increase in As (III) accumulation, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Differential response in terms of chlorophyll content was observed during As(III) stress under different N and P regimes, with significant increase in chlorophyll content under N-excess conditions. As(III) stress correspondingly resulted in loss of antioxidant function in both root and shoot as observed by decline in catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. Under N- and P-excess conditions, significant decline of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide radical (O2·−) content, MDA levels and low accumulation of As(III) were observed along with the increase in activities of CAT, GPX and SOD in both root and shoot as compared to those under As(III) stress alone. However, during N- and P-deficient conditions, no significant (p ≥ 0.05) difference in these parameters were observed during As(III) stress. Further, under N- and P-deficient conditions during As(III) stress, the accumulation of As(III) in root and shoot were not significantly altered as compared to rice seedlings under As(III) stress alone, rather its was observed to be considerably high even compared to those under As(III) stress alone. Our results suggested that modulation of N and P in the nutrient medium has strong impact on As(III) accumulation and stress responses in developing rice seedlings. Modulation in terms of N and P excess effectively mitigates As(III)-induced stress responses by regulating As(III) accumulation and lowering ROS production by improving antioxidant defence metabolism, which facilitates plant growth during As(III) stress, while N and P deficiency aggravate the impact of As(III) stress.