Water relations responses of the pea

Mercury (Hg) is one of the most toxic heavy metals and has multiple impacts on plant growth and physiology, including disturbances of plant water status. The impact of Hg on water relations was assessed by exposing the unique Hg-sensitive pea (Pisum sativum L.) mutant SGECdt and its wild-type (WT) line SGE in hydroponic culture. When the plants were grown in the presence of 1 or 2 µM HgCl2 for 11 days, the SGECdt mutant had lower whole plant transpiration rate and increased leaf temperature, indicating stomatal closure. Shoot removal of Hg-untreated plants resulted in greater root-pressure induced xylem sap flow in the SGECdt mutant than WT plants. Treating these plants with 50 µM HgCl2 (an inhibitor of aquaporins) for 1 h decreased xylem sap flow of both genotypes by about 5 times and eliminated differences between WT and mutant. Adding 1 mM dithiothreitol (the reducing thiol reagent used for opening aquaporins) to the nutrient solution of Hg-treated plants partially restored xylem sap flow in SGECdt roots only, suggesting genotypic differences in aquaporin function. Thus root water uptake is important in mediating sensitivity of SGECdt to toxic Hg