Biochemical adaptation of wild and cultivated soybean against toxicity of lead salts

Abstract

Agricultural production is becoming increasingly dependent on the environmental factors that alter soil properties, plant productivity, and product quality. Environment pollution caused by heavy metals because of human activities are among the most dangerous pollutants on the biosphere. Here, we have studied the biochemical adaptation of wild and cultivated soybeans to the simulated effects of lead nitrate and lead acetate. Lead in the form of acetate had a relevant toxic effect, as evidenced by a significant increase in the concentration of malonic dialdehyde in the treated samples relative to control samples. Catalase and peroxidase, possibly performing a signaling function, are involved in the adaptation to the toxicity of Pb salts. The studied Pb salts showed a predominant stimulating effect on the specific activity of acid phosphatases in cultivated soybean, while the ribonuclease activity changed in both Glycine species. Moreover, in wild soybean, it was mostly suppressive, except for the first day. We found that the electrophoretic spectra of acid phosphatases of soybean seedlings was highly stabile, while that of ribonucleases varied depending on the salt. On the seventh day of exposure, lead nitrate caused a decrease in the specific activity of the studied hydrolases of seedlings of cultivated and wild soybeans. A change in the number or electrophoretic mobility of multiple forms of enzymes during treatment with Pb salts was revealed, which indicates the adaptation of the plants at the molecular genetic level. These results imply that the observed enzymes can be used as sensitive indicators for predicting the effects of heavy metals on soybean.