Leucine Contributes to Copper Stress Tolerance in Peach (<i>Prunus persica</i>) Seedlings by Enhancing Photosynthesis and the Antioxidant Defense System
Heavy metal contamination has a severe impact on ecological health and plant growth and is becoming increasingly serious globally. Copper (Cu) is a heavy metal that is essential for the growth and development of plants, including peach (<i>Prunus persica</i> L. Batsch); however, an exces...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Antioxidants |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/11/12/2455 |
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| author | Maoxiang Sun Suhong Li Qingtao Gong Yuansong Xiao Futian Peng |
| author_facet | Maoxiang Sun Suhong Li Qingtao Gong Yuansong Xiao Futian Peng |
| author_sort | Maoxiang Sun |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Heavy metal contamination has a severe impact on ecological health and plant growth and is becoming increasingly serious globally. Copper (Cu) is a heavy metal that is essential for the growth and development of plants, including peach (<i>Prunus persica</i> L. Batsch); however, an excess is toxic. In plants, amino acids are involved in responses to abiotic and biotic stresses, such as water deficit, extreme temperatures, high salinity, and heavy metal stress. However, the role of leucine in the regulation of heavy metal stress is currently unclear. Therefore, we investigated the effects of exogenous leucine on the growth of peach seedlings under Cu stress. Exogenous leucine improved the leaf ultrastructure and ionic balance and increased the chlorophyll content, the net photosynthetic rate, and the maximum photochemical efficiency. Furthermore, it attenuated Cu-stress-induced oxidative damage via a decrease in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the regulation of the antioxidant and osmotic systems. These effects, in turn, ameliorated the reductions in cell viability, cellular activity, and biomass under Cu stress. Moreover, exogenous leucine increased the activities of nitrate reductase (NR), glutamine synthetase (GS), and glutamic acid synthetase (GOGAT) and thus improved the nitrogen metabolism efficiency of plants. In conclusion, leucine significantly improved the photosynthetic performance and antioxidant capacity, reduced Cu accumulation, and promoted nitrogen metabolism, which in turn improved the resistance of peach seedlings to Cu stress. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:23:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fce6f07752c3409d9819a755c846a495 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3921 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:23:38Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Antioxidants |
| spelling | doaj.art-fce6f07752c3409d9819a755c846a4952023-11-24T12:58:23ZengMDPI AGAntioxidants2076-39212022-12-011112245510.3390/antiox11122455Leucine Contributes to Copper Stress Tolerance in Peach (<i>Prunus persica</i>) Seedlings by Enhancing Photosynthesis and the Antioxidant Defense SystemMaoxiang Sun0Suhong Li1Qingtao Gong2Yuansong Xiao3Futian Peng4State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, ChinaShandong Institute of Pomology, Tai’an 271000, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, ChinaHeavy metal contamination has a severe impact on ecological health and plant growth and is becoming increasingly serious globally. Copper (Cu) is a heavy metal that is essential for the growth and development of plants, including peach (<i>Prunus persica</i> L. Batsch); however, an excess is toxic. In plants, amino acids are involved in responses to abiotic and biotic stresses, such as water deficit, extreme temperatures, high salinity, and heavy metal stress. However, the role of leucine in the regulation of heavy metal stress is currently unclear. Therefore, we investigated the effects of exogenous leucine on the growth of peach seedlings under Cu stress. Exogenous leucine improved the leaf ultrastructure and ionic balance and increased the chlorophyll content, the net photosynthetic rate, and the maximum photochemical efficiency. Furthermore, it attenuated Cu-stress-induced oxidative damage via a decrease in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the regulation of the antioxidant and osmotic systems. These effects, in turn, ameliorated the reductions in cell viability, cellular activity, and biomass under Cu stress. Moreover, exogenous leucine increased the activities of nitrate reductase (NR), glutamine synthetase (GS), and glutamic acid synthetase (GOGAT) and thus improved the nitrogen metabolism efficiency of plants. In conclusion, leucine significantly improved the photosynthetic performance and antioxidant capacity, reduced Cu accumulation, and promoted nitrogen metabolism, which in turn improved the resistance of peach seedlings to Cu stress.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/11/12/2455antioxidant systemsCu stressleucinenitrogen metabolismpeach |
| spellingShingle | Maoxiang Sun Suhong Li Qingtao Gong Yuansong Xiao Futian Peng Leucine Contributes to Copper Stress Tolerance in Peach (<i>Prunus persica</i>) Seedlings by Enhancing Photosynthesis and the Antioxidant Defense System Antioxidants antioxidant systems Cu stress leucine nitrogen metabolism peach |
| title | Leucine Contributes to Copper Stress Tolerance in Peach (<i>Prunus persica</i>) Seedlings by Enhancing Photosynthesis and the Antioxidant Defense System |
| title_full | Leucine Contributes to Copper Stress Tolerance in Peach (<i>Prunus persica</i>) Seedlings by Enhancing Photosynthesis and the Antioxidant Defense System |
| title_fullStr | Leucine Contributes to Copper Stress Tolerance in Peach (<i>Prunus persica</i>) Seedlings by Enhancing Photosynthesis and the Antioxidant Defense System |
| title_full_unstemmed | Leucine Contributes to Copper Stress Tolerance in Peach (<i>Prunus persica</i>) Seedlings by Enhancing Photosynthesis and the Antioxidant Defense System |
| title_short | Leucine Contributes to Copper Stress Tolerance in Peach (<i>Prunus persica</i>) Seedlings by Enhancing Photosynthesis and the Antioxidant Defense System |
| title_sort | leucine contributes to copper stress tolerance in peach i prunus persica i seedlings by enhancing photosynthesis and the antioxidant defense system |
| topic | antioxidant systems Cu stress leucine nitrogen metabolism peach |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/11/12/2455 |
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