Lipid peroxidation in plant cells, its physiological role and changes under heavy metal stress

Ewa Skórzyńska-Polit

doi:10.5586/asbp.2007.006

Ewa Skórzyńska-Polit

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5586/asbp.2007.006

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Abstract

Lipid peroxidation, which is a natural and essential process, can occur in a non-enzymatic and/or enzymatic way in plant cells. Some of its products have cytotoxic effects on cells, but others function as plant effectors. The lipid peroxidation in plants exposed to heavy metal stress depends on the metal, plant organ, plant species and its genotype.

Highlights

In plant cells free fatty acids peroxidation can occur both in a non-enzymatic and enzymatic way with lipidhydroperoxides (LOO) formed as by-products
LOX activity increased depending on the metal concentration in germinating seedlings of Phaseolus vulgaris treated with Cd, and the enzyme activity was much higher on 6th than on 4th day of germination, but it was not correlated with the level of lipid peroxides in these leaves (Somashekaraiah et al 1992)
In Arabidopsis thaliana plants exposed to Cd or Cu, the enhanced activity of antioxidative system was measured and the antioxidative response of plants was stronger under Cu- than Cd stress (Skórzyñska-Polit et al 2004a, b). Both enzymatic and non-enzymatic lipid peroxidations are natural and essential processes occurring in plant cells

Summary

Introduction

In plant cells free fatty acids peroxidation can occur both in a non-enzymatic and enzymatic way with lipidhydroperoxides (LOO) formed as by-products. In non-enzymatic processes, reactive oxygen species (ROS) formed in different cell compartments (especially superoxide radical O2) and transition metal ions are engaged in the initiation of lipid peroxidation (Kappus 1985). LOXs play a role in senescence (Lynch and Thompson 1984; He et al 2002) in senescing leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana a dominant role of non-enzymatic lipid peroxidation was shown (Berger et al 2001).

Results

Conclusion