Cadmium-induced changes in antioxidative systems, hydrogen peroxide content, and lipid peroxidation in Arabidopsis thaliana

To study the relationship between cadmium (Cd)-induced phytotoxicity and oxidative stress, we grew Cd-sensitive wild-type (WT) and Cd-resistant type (RT) seedlings of Arabidopsis thaliana on MS media containing up to 500 muM CdCl2. The resistant seedlings showed higher biomasses and lower hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation levels, the latter expressed in terms of malondialdehyde (MDA) production. These results indicate that RT plants experience lower oxidative stress when exposed to Cd. Furthermore, compared with the WT, RT seedlings have significantly higher activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and enzymes related to hydrogen peroxide removal, e.g., guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione reductase (GR). These differential responses suggest that such phytotoxicity could be induced by oxidative stress, and that lower accumulations of hydrogen peroxide confer Cd tolerance in seedlings.