Effects of bisphenol A on mineral nutrition in soybean seedling roots

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a ubiquitous chemical in the environment and potentially harmful to plants. However, relevant studies of the effects of BPA on plants are relatively scarce. In the present work, the effects of BPA on the biomass (fresh wt and dry wt), absorptive function (activity and absorptive area), and mineral element levels in soybean (Glycine max L.) seedling roots treated with 1.5 mg L(-1) , 3.0 mg L(-1) , 6.0 mg L(-1) , 12.0 mg L(-1) , 24.0 mg L(-1) , 48.0 mg L(-1) , and 96.0 mg L(-1) BPA were investigated. Treatment with 1.5 mg L(-1) BPA increased the levels of nitrate and other mineral elements (P, K, Mg, Mn, Zn, and Mo) in the roots, whereas treatments with BPA at higher concentrations decreased the levels of these elements in the roots. All treatments with BPA caused increases in the levels of ammonium, Ca, Fe, and Cu in the roots. Moreover, treatment with 1.5 mg L(-1) BPA increased the fresh weight, dry weight, activity, and absorptive area of the roots, whereas treatments with BPA at higher concentrations decreased these indices in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, correlation analysis data showed that BPA affected the levels of mineral elements and absorptive function of soybean seedling roots, which may be the physiological basis of BPA action on plants.

Analysis of effects of a new environmental pollutant, bisphenol A, on antioxidant systems in soybean roots at different growth stages

“…Compared to the three growth stages, with the developing of soybean root structure and function, and the increasing of biomass, BPA stress on unit biomass of soybean roots was decreased 37 . Previous studies showed that low-dose (1.5 mg·L −1 ) BPA exposure can promote roots to absorb and make use of microelements (such as Mg and Mn) 43 , and microelements can be used to synthesize antioxidants to resist ROS oxidative stress 44 . The resistance of soybean roots to BPA stress at three growth stages followed the order: seed-filling stage > flowering and podding stage > seedling stage.…”

Effects of bisphenol A on key enzymes in cellular respiration of soybean seedling roots

“…The stimulatory effects of low-concentrations BPA and the inhibitory effects of higher-concentrations BPA on the accumulation of mineral elements in soybean roots were reported in our previous studies [13]. It is well known that plant roots absorb mineral elements mainly by active and passive absorption [30].…”

“…In other words, increases in contents of minerals were related to the increased activities of respiratory enzymes, and decreased enzyme activities led to decreases in contents of minerals. In addition, our previous study showed that all concentrations of BPA caused increases in contents of Ca, Fe, and Cu in soybean roots ; furthermore, the accumulations of Ca, Fe, and Cu were negatively correlated with activities of respiratory enzymes in roots after BPA exposure and withdrawal of BPA exposure (Table ). This phenomenon may be related to the different physiological functions or the demand of soybean seedlings for the minerals under stress conditions .…”

“…Poorter et al [35] confirmed that most energy supplied by respiration was used in the absorption of mineral nutrition; therefore, the accumulation of minerals may be related to changes in respiration intensity. Our previous studies found a promoting effect of lowconcentration BPA on the contents of K, Mg, and Mn in soybean roots and a contrasting inhibitory effect of highconcentration BPA (after withdrawal of BPA, the contents of K, Mg, and Mn increased) [13]. In the present study, correlation analyses showed that the accumulations of K, Mg, and Mn in soybean roots were positively correlated with changes in activities of critical respiratory enzymes (Table 1) both after BPA exposure and after withdrawal of BPA exposure.…”

“…In addition, some studies primarily reveal the physiological mechanism of BPA on plants; for example, 1.5 mg L –1 BPA promoted nitrogen assimilation in roots and photosynthesis in leaves of soybean ( Glycine max L.) seedlings, but the opposite effects on these physiological processes were observed for 17.2 mg L –1 and 50.0 mg L –1 BPA. Our previous study demonstrated that BPA had a strong influence on the accumulation of mineral elements in soybean roots; however, the underlying mechanism remains obscure.…”