Cadmium-induced transgenerational effect on plants: a parental gift for progeny

• Grant number: 20/00133-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Effective date (Start): February 01, 2021
• Effective date (End): January 27, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Crop Science
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo Antunes de Azevedo
• Grantee: Marcia Eugenia Amaral de Carvalho
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/25207-0 - Nanometallomics applied to soybean cultivation for studying the effects of metal-related nanoparticles, AP.TEM
• Associated scholarship(s): 22/02110-7 - Cadmium-induced transgenerational effects on tomato: complementary approaches, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

Some plants are able to 'remember' stress events and use this stored acknowledgement ('stress memory') to prepare their offspring to the persistent stressors. However, there is scarce information about the transgenerational effects that is triggered by the plant exposure to heavy metals, which are the most frequent contaminant in soils nowadays. Cadmium (Cd) is an extremely toxic metal to several biological systems, where it is generally accumulated, aggravating its side-effects on the organisms. However, previous tests revealed that seeds from plants under Cd exposure presented higher germination rate and vigor when compared to the seeds from plants that were grown in uncontaminated soil. Therefore, this research aimed to assess the mechanisms related to the transgenerational effects that are triggered by Cd exposure through physiological, biochemical, nutritional, and cytogenetic evaluations in the offspring, which will be "re-exposed" to Cd and, also, subjected to other abiotic stresses (such as high temperatures, and nanoparticles of silver - Ag). This research shows originality (few articles in the both past and current literature addressed the positive transgenerational effects caused by Cd). In addition, this project has academic-scientific relevance (results that will be obtained may support other works in this research area) and practical relevance (these results can be used to guide biotechnological and crop management programs). (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CARVALHO, MARCIA EUGENIA AMARAL; LABATE, CARLOS ALBERTO; BARBOZA DA SILVA, CLISSIA; DE CAMARGO E CASTRO, PAULO ROBERTO; AZEVEDO, RICARDO ANTUNES. Seed photorespiration: a perspective review. Plant Growth Regulation, v. 97, n. 3, p. 8-pg., 2022-04-20. (17/15220-7, 20/00133-4)

NOGUEIRA, MARINA LIMA; CARVALHO, MARCIA EUGENIA AMARAL; FERREIRA, JOAO MARCOS MARTINS; BRESSANIN, LETICIA APARECIDA; PIOTTO, KATHERINE DERLENE BATAGIN; PIOTTO, FERNANDO ANGELO; MARQUES, DEYVID NOVAES; BARBOSA, SANDRO; AZEVEDO, RICARDO ANTUNES. admium-induced transgenerational effects on tomato plants: A gift from parents to progenie. Science of The Total Environment, v. 789, OCT 1 2021. (16/05788-3, 18/20706-9, 20/00133-4, 17/05544-0)

CARVALHO, MARCIA E. A.; AGATHOKLEOUS, EVGENIOS; NOGUEIRA, MARINA L.; BRUNETTO, GUSTAVO; BROWN, PATRICK H.; AZEVEDO, RICARDO A.. Neutral-to-positive cadmium effects on germination and seedling vigor, with and without seed priming. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, v. 448, p. 11-pg., 2023-01-25. (22/08845-9, 22/02110-7, 20/00133-4)