Toxic Effects of Diesel Exhaust Particles on the Ovules and Embryonic Sac Development in Phaseolus vulgaris L.

摘要

Diesel Exhaust Particles (DEP) are one of the most important air pollutants. Many researchers have reported the detrimental effect of DEP on peoples' health and that of different organisms. There are some reports about the effect of DEP on pollen grains and their allergic potential but this is the first investigation on its effect on ovule development in common bean. Phaseolus vulgaris L. plants were grown in similar-sized plots in different groups and treated with different concentrations (0.1, 0.3,0.6 g/L) of water-soluble parts of DEP. Flowers and small pods were removed, fixed with FAA and subjected to developmental studies. Our results show that DEP can have some abnormal effect during of ovule development in common bean when treated with DEP(0.1, 0.3 and 0.6 g/1). The embryonic sac could not complete its growth and was smaller in DEP-treated plants than in control ones. In DEP-treated plants, vesiculation of the embryonic sac and plasmolysis of nucellar tissue were observed. Accumulation ofdark particles, disruption of the nuclear envelope, and cell degradation in the embryonic sac are some of the results of treatment with DEP. SDS-PAGE showed that even though the protein pattern was the same in experimental and control plants, there wasa slight quantitative increase of a band with molecular mass of 62 KD in 0.6 g/1 DEP-treated plants.