The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon phenanthrene causes oxidative stress and alters polyamine metabolism in the aquatic liverwort Riccia fluitans L.

The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) phenanthrene (PHEN) is a highly toxic pollutant, commonly found in aquatic environments, the effects of which on aquatic plants have not been studied in depth. As PAHs are known to induce oxidative stress and recent studies have shown that polyamines (PAs) participate in the defence reactions protecting plants against environmental stresses, PA metabolism and oxidative damage were investigated in the aquatic form of the liverwort Riccia fluitans L. exposed to PHEN. Exposure of Riccia fluitans plants to PHEN at concentrations of 0.5  µ m or less induced oxidative stress, but at a level from which plants could recover. Despite increased levels of enzymatic and non‐enzymatic antioxidants, recovery appeared, at least in part, due to increased synthesis of PAs, achieved via increased activities of the enzymes arginine decarboxylase (ADC) and S‐adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC). Chemical inhibition of these enzymes inhibited plant recovery, while treatment with PAs aided recovery. Finally, as chloroplasts and the plasma membrane appeared to be key targets for PHEN‐induced damage, the potential roles of PAs in protecting these cellular components were considered. How PAs could protect plant cells from serious environmental pollutants such as PHEN and could prevent oxidative stress is discussed.