Specific glutathione-S-transferases ensure an efficient detoxification of diclofenac in Solanum lycopersicum L. plants

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2021

Authors

Sousa, B (Author) Other; Lopes, J (Author) Other; Leal, A (Author) Other; Martins, M (Author) Other; Soares, C (Author) Other; Manuel Azenha (Author) FCUP; Fernanda Fidalgo (Author) FCUP; Jorge Teixeira (Author) FCUP

Journal

Title: Plant Physiology and Biochemistry

Vol. 168

Pages: 263-271

ISSN: 0981-9428

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 6 Citations

Scopus - 6 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00V-JFT

DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2021.10.019

Abstract (EN): Diclofenac (DCF) is a very common pharmaceutical that, due to its high use and low removal rate, is considered a prominent contaminant in surface and groundwater worldwide. In this study, Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. MicroTom (tomato) was used to disclose the role of glutathione (GSH)-related enzymes, as GSH conjugation with DCF is a well reported detoxification mechanism in mammals and some plant species. To achieve this, S. lycopersicum plants were exposed to 0.5 and 5 mg L-1 of DCF for 5 weeks under a semi-hydroponic experiment. The results here obtained point towards an efficient DCF detoxification mechanism that prevents DCF bioaccumulation in fruits, minimizing any concerns for human health. Although a systemic response seems to be present in response to DCF, the current data also shows that its detoxification is mostly a root-specific process. Furthermore, it appears that GSH-mediated DCF detoxification is the main mechanism activated, as glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity was greatly enhanced in roots of tomato plants treated with 5 mgL(-1) DCF, accompanied by increased glutathione reductase activity, responsible for GSH regeneration. By applying a targeted gene expression analysis, we provide evidence, for the first time, that SlGSTF4 and SlGSTF5 genes, coding for GSTs from phi class, were the main players driving the conjugation of this contaminant. In this sense, and even though tomato plants appear to be somewhat tolerant to DCF exposure, research on GST activity can prove to be instrumental in remediating DCF-contaminated environments and improving plant growth under such conditions.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 9