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Chromium (VI)-induced hormesis and genotoxicity are mediated through oxidative stress in root cells of Allium cepa L.

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Abstract

Chromium (VI) genotoxicity was evaluated in Allium bioassay by using different treatment protocols. Treatment of bulbs of Allium cepa L. with Cr(VI) at a range of concentrations for 5 days (120 h) exhibited low dose (12.5 μM) stimulation and high dose (25–200 μM) inhibition of root growth apparently indicating hormesis. Inhibition of root growth was correlated with the dose-dependent increase in generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), cell death, lipid peroxidation, repression of antioxidative enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase), induction of DNA damage, chromosome aberrations or micronuclei in root cells. The above effects were, however, reversed when the duration of Cr(VI) treatment was limited to 3–24 h followed by recovery in tap water for 4 days that resulted in the dose-dependent stimulation of root growth, mitosis and increased activity of the antioxidative enzymes that obliterated oxidative stress and genotoxicity. The above Cr(VI)-induced stimulation of root growth was effectively countered by pre- or post-treatments of dimethylthiourea, a ROS-scavenger. These findings underscored that Cr(VI), depending on the magnitude of the dose (concentration × time), could either be stimulatory or inhibitory for root growth that underlined the crucial role of ROS having obvious implications in agriculture, post harvest technology and human health.

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Abbreviations

APX:

Ascorbate peroxidase

CA:

Chromosome aberration

CAT:

Catalase

DMTU:

Dimethylthiourea

EDTA:

Ethylenediamine-tetra acetic acid

FW:

Fresh weight

GPX:

Guaiacol peroxidase

LMPA:

Low melting point agarose

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

MI:

Mitotic index

MN:

Micronucleus

NBT:

Nitroblue tetrazolium

OTM:

Olive tail moment

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

TBA:

Thiobarbituric acid

TCA:

Trichloroacetic acid

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Acknowledgments

The present research was carried out through fellowships awarded to ARP and VMMA, respectively, from UGC and CSIR, New Delhi. The authors are thankful to the authorities of Berhampur University for providing administrative and infrastructural facilities to carry out the research and to Dr. B. B. Nayak, IMMT, Bhubaneswar for help with analysis of Cr(VI) in experimental solutions.

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  1. V. Mohan M. Achary

    Present address: Plant Molecular Biology Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, 110 067, India

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  1. Molecular Biology and Genomics Laboratory, Department of Botany, Berhampur University, Berhampur, 760 007, India

    Anita R. Patnaik & Brahma B. Panda

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  1. Anita R. Patnaik
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Patnaik, A.R., Achary, V.M.M. & Panda, B.B. Chromium (VI)-induced hormesis and genotoxicity are mediated through oxidative stress in root cells of Allium cepa L.. Plant Growth Regul 71, 157–170 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-013-9816-5

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