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Autophagy alleviates indium-induced programmed cell death in wheat roots
Ruyi Qian1, Hongcheng Zhao1, Xin Liang1
1MOE Key Laboratory of Environment Remediation and Ecological Health, College of Natural Resource & Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
Journal of Hazardous Materials
|July 23, 2022
Summary
Autophagy suppresses indium-induced programmed cell death (PCD) in wheat roots. Enhancing autophagy reduced PCD markers, while inhibiting it worsened indium stress, revealing a protective role for autophagy in plants facing metal xenobiotics.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Environmental Toxicology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Indium contamination in agroecosystems poses a growing threat to crop health and yield.
- Plant adaptive mechanisms to metal xenobiotics, particularly indium, are not well understood.
- Programmed cell death (PCD) and autophagy are critical cellular processes in plant stress responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interplay between autophagy and programmed cell death (PCD) in wheat roots subjected to indium stress.
- To elucidate the role of autophagy in mitigating indium-induced cellular damage and toxicity in plants.
- To identify key molecular players, such as metacaspase genes, involved in indium-induced PCD.
Main Methods:
- Wheat roots were treated with indium, and effects on root activity, cell viability, and morphology were assessed.
- Programmed cell death (PCD) was evaluated using techniques like TUNEL assay, DNA fragmentation analysis, and caspase-3-like protease activity assays.
- Gene expression analysis was performed for metacaspase and autophagy-related genes.
- Autophagy was manipulated using activators (rapamycin) and inhibitors (3-methyladenine) to assess its impact on PCD markers.
Main Results:
- Indium stress significantly reduced root activity, cell viability, and epidermal cell length, indicating toxicity.
- Indium-induced PCD was evidenced by nuclear condensation, DNA fragmentation, increased TUNEL-positive nuclei, and elevated caspase-3-like protease activity.
- Expression of metacaspase genes (TaMCA1, TaMCA4) and autophagy genes increased under indium stress.
- Enhancing autophagy with rapamycin decreased PCD markers, while inhibiting autophagy with 3-methyladenine exacerbated them.
Conclusions:
- Autophagy plays a crucial role in suppressing indium-induced programmed cell death (PCD) in wheat roots.
- Autophagy contributes to metabolic adaptation and repair of stress-induced damage in plants exposed to indium.
- Understanding the autophagy-PCD axis provides insights into plant resilience against emerging metal stressors in agroecosystems.
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