Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a crucial role in plant defense mechanisms under adverse environmental conditions, but its metabolism and perception in response to heavy metals are largely unknown. In exposed to CdCl, an accumulation of free ABA was detected in leaves at different developmental stages (A, youngest, unexpanded; B1, youngest, fully expanded; B2, mature; C, old), with the highest content found in A and B1 leaves. In turn, the content of ABA conjugates, which was highest in B2 and C leaves under control conditions, increased only in A leaves and decreased in leaves of later developmental stages after Cd treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe accumulation of proline is one of the defense mechanisms of plants against the harmful effects of adverse environmental conditions; however, when pea plants were treated for 12 h with CdCl, the proline concentration decreased in the youngest A (not expanded) and B1 (expanded) leaves, and did not change significantly in the B2 (mature, expanded) or C (the oldest) leaves. After 24 h of cadmium (Cd) stress, the proline concentration remained low in A and B1 leaves, while in B2 and C leaves, it increased, and after 48 h, an increase in the proline concentration in the leaves at each stage of development was observed. The role of proline in the different phases of plant response to the Cd treatment is discussed.
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