Role of Calcium in Ameliorating Aluminum Toxicity in Cultured Tobacco (Al Sensitive) and Tea (Al Tolerant) Cells

摘要

Aluminum toxicity is one of the factors that seriously limit plant growth in acid soils, but the exact mechanism ( s) is yet to be elucidated. This study was undertaken to compare possible interaction (s) between aluminum and calcium in suspension-cultured tea ( as Al tolerant) and tobacco ( as Al sensitive) cells. The cells were treated either with 60 μM Al, or 127 μM Ca, or a combination of both, for 24 h. Applying monoclonal antibodies JIM7 and JIM5 for methyl esterification of pectin as well as chemical analysis showed that Al increased the degree of methyl esterification ( DME) of pectin of tea cells but decreased it in tobacco cells. In both cells combination of Ca and Al restored DME at the level of Al treatment alone. In contrast, treatment of tobacco cells with Aluminum increased the level of peroxidation of lipids and declined flavonoid contents.