Arsenic (As) is an environmental toxin pollutant that affects the numerous physiological processes of plants. In present study, two Brassica napus L. cultivars were subjected to various concentrations (0, 50, 100, and 200 µM) of As for 14 days, plants were examined for As subcellular distribution, photosynthesis parameters, oxidative stress, and ultrastructural changes under As-stress. Differential fraction analysis showed that significant amount of As was accumulated in the cell wall as compared to other organelles. Decline in photosynthetic efficiency under As stress was observed in term of reduced pigment contents and gas exchange parameters. Differential responses of antioxidants at both enzymatic and gene levels to higher As stress were more pronounced in cultivar ZS 758 as compared to Zheda 622. The qRT-PCR analysis showed that heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) and metallothionein were over-expressed in As stressed B. napus plants. Disorganization of cell structure and the damages in different organelles were some of the obvious variations in cultivar Zheda 622 as compared to ZS 758.
Keywords: Antioxidant enzyme activities; Arsenic toxicity; Brassica napus L.; Oxidative stress; Subcellular fractions.