Tobacco BY-2 suspension cells were used to study the chemical damage and its associated mechanisms caused by Cu2+. Treatment with 100 micromol/L Cu2+ generated a large amount of H2O2 and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) in cells. Using phospholipase D (PLD) specific inhibitor (1-butanol) or phosphatidic acid (PA), we demonstrated that PLD plays an important role in the generation of H2O2 and TBARS. Semi-quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and enzyme activity assays with wild type and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase-overexpressing BY-2 cells revealed that PLD and PA are the key factors leading to NADPH oxidase activation, which is responsible for H2O2 and TBARS production induced by Cu2+. Moreover, the content of ascorbic acid (AsA), an effective antioxidant, was sharply reduced in BY-2 cells exposed to excessive Cu2+. Furthermore, a significant downregulation of the enzymes of AsA biosynthesis and the antioxidant system was found. This evidence suggests that excessive Cu2+-elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production is caused by upregulated PLD that elevates the activity of NADPH oxidase and its collapsed antioxidant systems that scavenges ROS.