TY - JOUR
T1 - Calcium affects uranium responses in Arabidopsis thaliana: From distribution to toxicity
AU - Mertens, Amber
AU - Horemans, Nele
AU - Saenen, Eline
AU - Nauts, Robin
AU - Cuypers, Ann
N1 - Score=10
PY - 2022/8/15
Y1 - 2022/8/15
N2 - Uranium, a heavy metal and primordial radionuclide, is present in surface waters and soils both naturally and
due to industrial activities. Uranium is known to be toxic to plants and its uptake and toxicity can be influenced
by multiple factors such as pH and the presence of different ions. However, the precise role of the different ions in
uranium uptake is not yet known. Here we investigated whether calcium influences uranium uptake and toxicity
in the terrestrial plant Arabidopsis thaliana.
To this end, A. thaliana plants were exposed to different calcium and uranium concentrations and furthermore,
calcium channels were blocked using the calcium channel blocker lanthanum chloride (LaCl3). Fresh weight,
relative growth rate, concentration of nutrients and uranium and gene expression of oxidative stress-related
genes and calcium transporters were determined in roots and shoots.
Calcium affected plant growth and oxidative stress in both control (no uranium) and uranium-exposed plants.
In shoots, this was influenced by the total calcium concentration, but not by the different tested uranium concentrations.
Uranium in turn did influence calcium uptake and distribution. Uranium-exposed plants grown in a
medium with a higher calcium concentration showed an increase in gene expression of NADPH oxidases RBOHC
and RBOHE and calcium transporter CAX7 after uranium exposure. In roots, these calcium-dependent responses
in gene expression were not observed. This indicates that calcium indeed affects uranium toxicity, but only in
shoots. In addition, a clear influence of uranium and LaCl3 (separately and combined) on the expression of
calcium transporters was observed.
AB - Uranium, a heavy metal and primordial radionuclide, is present in surface waters and soils both naturally and
due to industrial activities. Uranium is known to be toxic to plants and its uptake and toxicity can be influenced
by multiple factors such as pH and the presence of different ions. However, the precise role of the different ions in
uranium uptake is not yet known. Here we investigated whether calcium influences uranium uptake and toxicity
in the terrestrial plant Arabidopsis thaliana.
To this end, A. thaliana plants were exposed to different calcium and uranium concentrations and furthermore,
calcium channels were blocked using the calcium channel blocker lanthanum chloride (LaCl3). Fresh weight,
relative growth rate, concentration of nutrients and uranium and gene expression of oxidative stress-related
genes and calcium transporters were determined in roots and shoots.
Calcium affected plant growth and oxidative stress in both control (no uranium) and uranium-exposed plants.
In shoots, this was influenced by the total calcium concentration, but not by the different tested uranium concentrations.
Uranium in turn did influence calcium uptake and distribution. Uranium-exposed plants grown in a
medium with a higher calcium concentration showed an increase in gene expression of NADPH oxidases RBOHC
and RBOHE and calcium transporter CAX7 after uranium exposure. In roots, these calcium-dependent responses
in gene expression were not observed. This indicates that calcium indeed affects uranium toxicity, but only in
shoots. In addition, a clear influence of uranium and LaCl3 (separately and combined) on the expression of
calcium transporters was observed.
KW - Uranium toxicity
KW - Calcium
KW - Uranium uptake
KW - Arabidopsis thaliana
UR - https://ecm.sckcen.be/OTCS/llisapi.dll/open/49836894
U2 - 10.1016/j.plaphy.2022.05.020
DO - 10.1016/j.plaphy.2022.05.020
M3 - Article
SN - 0981-9428
VL - 185
SP - 101
EP - 111
JO - Plant Physiology and Biochemistry
JF - Plant Physiology and Biochemistry
ER -