Effect of Cadmium on Oxidative Stress and Activities of Antioxidant Enzymes in Tomato Seedlings

Abstract

Leaves of two-week old seedlings of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) were treated with various concentrations (0∼100 M) of <TEX>$CdCl_2$</TEX> for up to 9 days and subsequent growth of seedlings, symptoms of oxidative stress and isozyme activities of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and peroxidase (POX) were investigated. Compared with the non-treated control, Cd exposure decreased biomass but increased Cd accumulation, hydrogen peroxide production and lipid peroxidation as malondialdehyde (MDA) formation in leaves and roots. Further studies on the developmental changes of isozyme activities showed that Fe-SOD, Cu/Zn-SOD and one of three APX isozymes decreased and CAT and one of four POX isozymes increased in leaves, whereas Fe-SOD, one of three POX isozymes and two of four APX isozymes decreased and CAT increased in roots, showing different expression of isozymes in leaves and roots with Cd exposure level and time. Based on our results, we suggest that the reduction of seedling growth by Cd exposure is the oxidative stress resulting from the over production of <TEX>$H_2O_2$</TEX> and the insufficient activities of antioxidant enzymes particularly involved in the scavenging of <TEX>$H_2O_2$</TEX>. Further, the decreased activities of SOD and APX isozymes of chloroplast origin, the increased activities of CAT and POX and high <TEX>$H_2O_2$</TEX> contents with Cd exposure might indicate that Cd-induced oxidative stress starts outside chloroplast.