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Cerium Relieves the Inhibition of Chlorophyll Biosynthesis of Maize Caused by Magnesium Deficiency

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Abstract

Lanthanoids (Ln) were demonstrated to improve chlorophyll formation and the growth of plants. But the mechanism of the fact that Ln promotes chlorophyll biosynthesis of plants is poorly understood. The main aim of the study was to determine Ln effects in chlorophyll formation of maize under magnesium (Mg) deficiency. Maize plants were cultivated in Hoagland’s solution. They were subjected to Mg deficiency and to cerium administered in Mg-deficient Hoagland’s media, and then the contents of various chlorophyll precursors and gen expressions of the key enzymes of chlorophyll biosynthesis were examined. The decrease of chlorophyll contents in maize leaves caused by Mg deficiency suggested an inhibition of chlorophyll synthesis that was inhibited by a reduction of the precursors as measured by analyzing the contents of δ-aminolevulinic acid, porphobilinogen, uroporphyrinogen III, Mg–protoporphyrin IX, and protochlorophyll, as well as the expression levels of magnesium chelatase, magnesium-protoporphyrin IX methyltransferase, and chlorophyll synthase; Mg deficiency significantly inhibited the transformation from coproporphyrinogen III or protoporphyrin IX to chlorophyll. However, cerium addition significantly relieved the inhibition of chlorophyll biosynthesis in maize caused by Mg deficiency and increased chlorophyll content and promoted a series of transformations from δ-aminolevulinic acid to chlorophyll and maize growth under Mg deficiency. It implied that cerium might partly substitute for the role of Mg.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30800068).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical College of Soochow University, 215123, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China

    Min Zhou, Xiaolan Gong, Wang Ying, Liu Chao, Mengmeng Hong, Ling Wang & Hong Fashui

  2. Department of Mathematics and Nature, Lasa Normal Higher Training School, 850000, Lasa, People’s Republic of China

    Wang Ying

Authors
  1. Min Zhou
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  2. Xiaolan Gong
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  3. Wang Ying
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  4. Liu Chao
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  5. Mengmeng Hong
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  6. Ling Wang
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  7. Hong Fashui
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Correspondence to Hong Fashui.

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Min Zhou, Xiaolan Gong and Wang Ying contributed equally to this work.

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Zhou, M., Gong, X., Ying, W. et al. Cerium Relieves the Inhibition of Chlorophyll Biosynthesis of Maize Caused by Magnesium Deficiency. Biol Trace Elem Res 143, 468–477 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-010-8830-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-010-8830-y

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