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Leaf application of 24‐epibrassinolide mitigates cadmium toxicity in young Eucalyptus urophylla plants by modulating leaf anatomy and gas exchange
Author(s) -
Silva Cunha Luiz Felipe,
Oliveira Victor Pereira,
Nascimento Antonio Wellinton Silva,
Silva Breno Ricardo Serrão,
Batista Bruno Lemos,
Alsahli Abdulaziz Abdullah,
Lobato Allan Klynger da Silva
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
physiologia plantarum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.351
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1399-3054
pISSN - 0031-9317
DOI - 10.1111/ppl.13182
Subject(s) - photosynthesis , cadmium , photosystem ii , toxicity , abiotic component , chlorophyll fluorescence , stomatal conductance , chemistry , photosynthetic efficiency , horticulture , biology , botany , ecology , organic chemistry
Cadmium (Cd2+) soil pollution is a global environmental problem caused by the high toxicity of Cd. 24‐Epibrassinolide (EBR) is a biodegradable plant steroid involved in response modulation to biotic and abiotic stresses. The aim of this study was to evaluate if the leaf‐application of EBR improves the gas exchange and possible repercussions on leaf anatomy in young Eucalyptus urophylla plants exposed to Cd toxicity. The experiment involved six treatments, which included three Cd concentrations (0, 450, and 900 μM) and two EBR concentrations (0 and 100 nM, described as – EBR and + EBR, respectively). Plants exposed to Cd toxicity suffered decreases in leaf anatomical and gas exchange parameters. However, the plants treated with EBR + 900 μM Cd showed an increase of 46%, 40%, and 54% in the net photosynthetic rate, water‐use efficiency, and instantaneous carboxylation efficiency, respectively. The EBR application‐induced improvements in gas exchange parameters, causing beneficial effects on the photosynthetic apparatus, mainly the effective quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry and electron transport rate. Furthermore, this steroid mitigated the effect of Cd toxicity on leaf anatomical variables, more specifically palisade and spongy parenchyma, which are intrinsically related to stomatal density, and stimulated the net photosynthetic rate of plants.