Plant Diversity ›› 2009, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (06): 486-492.DOI: 10.3724 SP.J.1143.2009.09147

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The Effects of Exogenous Nitric Oxide on Growth, Active Oxygen Metabolism and Photosynthetic Characteristics in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) Seedlings Under Cadmium Stress

YU Zhao-Duan1 , WANG Li-Na1 , CAO Chen-Xing1 ** , HU Xiang-Yang2 , 3   

  1. 1 College of Horticultural Science and Engineering , Shandong Agricultural University , Taian 271018 , China ;
    2 Kunming Institute of Botany , Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650204 , China; 3 Institute of Tibetan
    Plateau Research at Kunming , Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650204 , China
  • Received:2009-08-11 Online:2009-12-25 Published:2009-12-25

Abstract: Cadmium is a non-essential element for plant growth which has serious biological toxicity and comparing with other heavy metals, Cadmium is more prone to accumulate in plants . The present study was conducted in nutrient solution to investigate the effects of exogenous nitric oxide (NO) on growth of cucumber seedlings , photosynthetic characteristics
and active oxygen metabolism in cucumber leaves under consistently different concentration of Cadmium stress (100 μmol L- 1 , 300μmol L - 1 , 500μmol L- 1 ) . The results showed that 300μmol L - 1 exogenous sodium nitrop russide (SNP) , a nitric oxide donor , could significantly alleviate the injury to cucumber under Cadmium stress . The treatment of SNP showed
the best results when cucumber under 300μmol L- 1 Cd2 + stress , which increased the seedling growth , the activity of SOD, POD, and the content of photosynthetic pigment and proline . Moreover , exogenous nitric oxide markedly decreased the content of MDA under 300μmol L- 1 Cd2+ stress .

Key words: Cd2+ stress

CLC Number: