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THE RESPONSE OF ROOT ACID PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY TO HEAVY METAL STRESS IN TOLERANT AND NON‐TOLERANT CLONES OF TWO GRASS SPECIES
Author(s) -
COX R. M.,
HUTCHINSON T. C.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8137.1980.tb01676.x
Subject(s) - biology , enzyme , botany , acid phosphatase , clone (java method) , enzyme assay , metal , zinc , phosphatase , biochemistry , gene , chemistry , organic chemistry
S ummary The inhibition by zinc of phosphatase activity in dialysed root extracts was determined for zinc‐tolerant and non‐tolerant clones of Anthoxanthum odoratum L. Similarly the inhibition by copper of this enzyme activity in root extracts of copper‐tolerant and non‐tolerant clones of Deschampsia cespitosa (L.) Beauv. was also determined. It was found for both species that the relationship between the in vitro percentage inhibition of enzymatic activity and the tolerance index of each clone, changed after exposure to sub‐lethal concentrations of the respective metal in water culture. The enzyme activity in the root extracts of the tolerant clones was found to be significantly less inhibited by the particular metal, than those of the non‐tolerant clones only when the plants were previously exposed to the particular metal in vivo. Since exposure of the roots to metal appeared to induce a positive reaction in tolerant material, it is suggested that physiological and biochemical investigations of metal tolerance may be more informative if plants that have been pre‐stressed by a particular metal are used. This should enable a better recognition of adaptive components of metabolism. Examples of such an approach and its implications are discussed.