In vitro breeding of grey poplar (Populus x canescens) for phytoremediation purposes

• Published in: Journal of chemical technology and biotechnology (1986) Vol. 84; no. 6; pp. 890 - 894
• Main Authors: Bittsánszky, András, Gyulai, Gábor, Gullner, Gábor, Kiss, József, Szabó, Zoltán, Kátay, György, Heszky, László, Kömíves, Tamás
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.06.2009
• Subjects: Culture; Enzyme activity; Glutathione; in vitro breeding; In vitro testing; Liquid oxygen; Paraquat; phytoremediation; Poplar; Populus; qRT-PCR; Stresses; Hungary
• ISSN: 0268-2575; 1097-4660; 1097-4660
• DOI: 10.1002/jctb.2166

BACKGROUND: Paraquat-tolerant poplar (Populus x canescens) clones (PQT) were selected in in vitro nodal segment cultures at the sublethal paraquat concentration (0.4 μmol L⁻¹). After testing on tissue culture media, regenerants were micropropagated, rooted and transplanted to a greenhouse followed by a field test at heavily contaminated fields of the Chemical Company Balatonfüzfö (Hungary).RESULTS: PQT clones showed significantly higher gst (glutathione S-transferase) gene expression level than the wild type (WT) analyzed by qRT-PCR (quantitative reverse transcriptase real time PCR). The expression level of gst gene in the PQT clones showed 70-fold (without paraquat treatment), 4-fold (at 0.1 μmol L⁻¹ paraquat), 20-fold (at 0.4 μmol L⁻¹ paraquat) and 40-fold (at 1 μmol L⁻¹ paraquat) increments compared with WT. For functional analysis, enzyme activities of lipoxygenase (LOX; EC 1.13.11.12), glutathione S-transferase (GST; EC 2.5.1.18), ascorbate peroxidase (APOX; EC 1.11.1.11) and glutathione reductase (GR; EC 1.6.4.2) were determined. The enzyme activity of GR and LOX, and the glutathione content (GSH) were found to be significantly higher in PQT clones.CONCLUSIONS: Paraquat-tolerant clones as powerful new stress tolerant and non-GMO plants can provide an effective tool for phytoremediaton purposes where the pollutants cause oxidative stresses. Copyright