Effects of mycorrhizal symbiosis and Ulva lactuca seaweed extract on growth, carbon/nitrogen metabolism, and antioxidant response in cadmium-stressed sorghum plant

Anass Kchikich; Zoulfa Roussi; Azzouz Krid; Nada Nhhala; Abdelhamid Ennoury; Bouchra Benmrid; Ayoub Kounnoun; Mohammed El Maadoudi; Naima Nhiri; Nhiri Mohamed

doi:10.1007/s12298-024-01446-5

Effects of mycorrhizal symbiosis and Ulva lactuca seaweed extract on growth, carbon/nitrogen metabolism, and antioxidant response in cadmium-stressed sorghum plant

Physiol Mol Biol Plants. 2024 Apr;30(4):605-618. doi: 10.1007/s12298-024-01446-5. Epub 2024 Apr 12.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Sciences and Technologies of Tangier, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Tetouan, Morocco.
² Laboratory of Analysis, Modeling, Engineering, Natural Substances and Environment, Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taroudant, Ibn Zohr University, Agadir, Morocco.
³ Environmental Technologies, Biotechnology and Valorisation of Bio-Ressources Team, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, 93000 Tetouan, Morocco.
⁴ AgroBioSciences Research Division, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, 43150 Ben Guerir, Morocco.
⁵ Laboratory of Applied Biology and Pathology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of Tetouan, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, 93000 Tetouan, Morocco.
⁶ Regional Analysis Laboratory and Research ONSSA, Tangier, Morocco.
⁷ Institute for the Chemistry of Natural Substances, CNRS, Paris Saclay University, 91190 Gif-Sur-Yvette, France.

PMID: 38737317
PMCID: PMC11087393 (available on 2025-04-01)
DOI: 10.1007/s12298-024-01446-5

Abstract

In our study on the effect of cadmium (Cd) toxicity (200 µM) on the growth of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench plants, cultivated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) (Glomus intraradices) and/or under seaweed treatment (3% Ulva lactuca extract) (U. lactuca), we found that AMF increased the tolerance of sorghum to cadmium stress, either alone or in combination with the seaweed treatment. Morphological parameters were higher in these two culture conditions, with increased chlorophyll content. AMF reduced Cd accumulation in roots and inhibited its translocation to the aerial part, while seaweed treatment alone significantly increased Cd accumulation in leaves and roots without affecting plant growth compared to stressed witnesses. Treatment with AMF and/or U. lactuca attenuated oxidative stress, measured by activation of superoxide dismutase, and resulted in a significant decrease in malondialdehyde and superoxide ions (O₂^-) in treated plants. Furthermore, it induced significant alterations in carbon and nitrogen metabolic pathways, with a significant increase in the activity of enzymes such as glutamine synthetase, glutamate synthase (GOGAT), glutamate dehydrogenase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, aspartate aminotransferase and isocitrate dehydrogenase in the leaves of each treated plant. These results confirm that AMF, U. lactuca algae extract and their combination can improve the biochemical parameters of sorghum under Cd stress, through modification of the antioxidant response on one hand, and improved nitrogen absorption and assimilation efficiency on the other.

Keywords: Cadmium; Carbon nitrogen enzymes; Mychorrizal plants; Mycorrhiza-Ulva synergy; Sorghum; Ulva lactuca.

© Prof. H.S. Srivastava Foundation for Science and Society 2024. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.