Agnieszka I. Piotrowicz-Cieślak

European yellow lupine, Lupinus luteus, and narrow‐leaf lupine, Lupinus angustifolius, as hosts for the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum

The pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris (Homoptera: Aphididae), fed, developed, and reproduced on yellow lupine, Lupinus luteus L. (Fabaceae: Genisteae). No clear preferences for any variety within L. luteus were found. Acyrthosiphon pisum showed negative values of relative growth rate and no aphid completed development on any variety of narrow‐leaf lupine Lupinus angustifolius L. Aphids did not ingest phloem sap while probing on L. angustifolius and the probes were very short. All varieties of L. angustifolius were rejected by aphids during an early stage of probing in peripheral tissues, that is, epidermis or mesophyll. There were qualitative and quantitative differences in alkaloid and soluble sugar content between the two lupine species. Within species, the relative content of individual compounds differed among the varieties. Lupinus angustifolius contained four quinolizidine alkaloids (13‐hydroxylupanine, dehydrolupanine, lupanine, and angustifoline), while L. luteus contained two (lupanine and sparteine). Lupanine occurred in all varieties of both lupine species. The total content of soluble carbohydrates was similar in L. luteus and L. angustifolius. The following cyclitols were found in both lupine species: myo‐inositol, D‐ononitol, and D‐pinitol. Lupinus angustifolius also contained D‐chiro‐inositol. The study of aphid probing behaviour, development, and reproduction demonstrated that L. luteus is a suitable host plant for A. pisum while L. angustifolius is not. It is likely that the rejection of L. angustifolius by A. pisum was caused by chemical factors detected by aphids at the epidermis and mesophyll level.

Phytotoxicity of Sulfamethazine Soil Pollutant to Six Legume Plant Species

The effect of traces of sulfamethazine (SMZ) in soil (0.01, 0.1, 0.25, 1, 5, 15, and 20 mM) on cellular distribution of cytochrome c oxidase activity, shoot and root growth, and leachate electroconductivity was analyzed in germinating seeds of yellow lupin, pea, lentil, soybean, adzuki bean, and alfalfa. Results showed that a high activity of cytochrome c oxidase in mitochondria correlated with high seed vigor and viability. The appearance of necroses and root decay was associated with a decrease in the activity of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase but was accompanied by an increase in cytosolic cytochrome c oxidase activity. A short exposure period of seeds (3 and 6 d) to sulfamethazine did not influence germination. Elongation of roots and stems was more sensitive than germination rate as an indicator of soil contamination by sulfamethazine. Among all tested leguminous plants, yellow lupin was the most reliable bioindicator of SMZ contaminated soil.

Diversity of selected Lupinus angustifolius L. genotypes at the phenotypic and DNA level with respect to microscopic seed coat structure and thickness.

The paper investigates seed coat characteristics (as a percentage of overall seed diameter) in Lupinus angustifolius L., a potential forage crop. In the study ten L. angustifolius genotypes, including three Polish cultivars, two Australian cultivars, three mutants originated from cv. ‘Emir’, and one Belarusian and one Australian breeding line were evaluated. The highest seed coat percentage was recorded in cultivars ‘Sonet’ and ‘Emir’. The lowest seed coat thickness percentage (below 20%) was noted for breeding lines 11257-19, LAG24 and cultivar ‘Zeus’ (17.87%, 18.91% 19.60%, respectively). Despite having low seed weight, the Australian line no. 11257-19 was characterized by a desirable proportion of seed coat to the weight of seeds. In general, estimation of the correlation coefficient indicated a tendency that larger seeds had thinner coats. Scanning Electron Microscopy images showed low variation of seed coat sculpture and the top of seeds covered with a cuticle. Most of the studied genotypes were characterized by a cristatepapillate seed coat surface, formed by elongated polygonal cells. Only breeding line no. 11267-19 had a different shape of the cells building the surface layer of the coat. In order to illustrate genetic diversity among the genotypes tested, 24 ISSR primers were used. They generated a total of 161 polymorphic amplification products in 10 evaluated narrow-leaved lupin genotypes.

Tetracycline Accumulation in Pea Seedlings and its Effects on Proteome and Enzyme Activities

Among antibiotics, tetracyclines are the most commonly used and detected in the environment. In this study, the amount of tetracycline taken up from soil by pea seedlings was analyzed, identified its main site of accumulation in plants and determined also changes in the protein profile of pea. The study demonstrates that pea seedlings take up tetracycline from soil and transport the drug via roots to over-ground parts and then accumulate it in the youngest parts, such as upper stem and leaves. After the taken up of drug, the activity of guaiacol peroxidase is modified and changes in the profile of proteins, as determined by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis occur. The majority of proteins (∼40%) visualized possessed molecular weight between 25 and 37 kDa. Only 8% of the proteins had molecular weight lower than 20 kDa, and 2% greater than 75 kDa. The number of spots in the control samples was 194, which is less by 49 than at the concentration of 150 mg kg of soil. Isoflavone reductase was present only in seedlings growing with tetracycline. Tetracycline uptake from soil modify mainly the changes in biochemical processes connected with protein.

Content of biogenic amines in Lemna minor (common duckweed) growing in medium contaminated with tetracycline

Aquatic plants are continuously exposed to a variety of stress factors. No data on the impact of antibiotics on the biogenic amines in duckweed (Lemna minor) have been available so far, and such data could be significant, considering the ecological role of this plant in animal food chains. In the tissues of control (non-stressed) nine-day-old duckweed, the following biogenic amines were identified: tyramine, putrescine, cadaverine, spermidine and spermine. Based on the tetracycline contents and the computed EC values, the predicted toxicity units have been calculated. The obtained results demonstrated phytoxicity caused by tetracycline in relation to duckweed growth rate, yield and the contents of chlorophylls a and b. The carotenoid content was not modified by tetracycline. It was found that tetracycline as a water pollutant was a stress factor triggering an increase in the synthesis of amines. Tetracycline at 19, 39 and 78μM concentrations increased biogenic amine synthesis by 3.5 times. Although the content of tyramine increased fourteen times with the highest concentration of the drug (and of spermidine - only three-fold) the increase of spermidine was numerically the highest. Among the biogenic amines the most responsive to tetracycline were spermine and tyramine, while the least affected were putrescine and spermidine. Despite putrescine and spermidine being the least sensitive, their sum of contents increased five-fold compared to the control. These studies suggest that tetracycline in water reservoirs is taken up by L. minor as the antibiotic clearly modifies the metabolism of this plant and it may likely pose a risk.

Herbicide Phytotoxicity and Resistance to Herbicides in Legume Plants

Active substances in herbicides, just like in other pesticides, are chemical compounds synthesized in order to kill organisms which are harmful for cultivated plants. Therefore, they are toxins introduced on purpose by man into the environment. From the perspective of environmental protection, it is very significant that herbicides are most often applied directly into the soil to manage weeds. Since DDT and chloro-organic herbicides such as 2,4,5-T were withdrawn (in the 1970s) and since the EU regulations were unified for all its member countries, plant protection techniques have advanced considerably. Yet, pesticides, thus herbicides as well, continue to be a big group of xenobiotics periodically occurring at high levels in agroecosystems. These compounds infiltrate into related biocenoses from air, soil, water and food (Allinson & Morita, 1995; Kolpin et al., 1998; Adomas at al., 2008). Soil may become a reservoir of various pollutants, including herbicides. Herbicides remain active in soil for different periods. Paraquat has a relatively long half-life in soil (estimated at about 1000 days). The half-life of glyphosate in soil is only 10 to 100 days, and according to Monsanto the average half-life of this herbicide is 32 days (Hornsby et al., 1996; Monsanto, 2005). Remainders of persistent herbicides (e.g. atrazine, metribusin, and trifluralin) can stay in soil and destroy subsequent plantations a year or more after herbicides had been used. Herbicides from soil leach into surface water and ground water. The assessment of herbicides content in the aquifers in Iowa shows that 75% of herbicides (Kolpin et al., 1998), despite degradation, are still detected. From soil, water or air, herbicides get into crops (Adomas et al., 2008). When pesticides are applied, acceptable remainders of active substances (MRL) can often be detected in cultivated plants. Depending on physicochemical properties of the active substances of pesticides and the ways of their detoxification, some of these pollutants tend to increase concentration while passing through organisms of higher trophic levels. It can lead to a significant bioaccumulation of toxins in the food chains (Allinson & Morita, 1995; Dinis-Oliveira et al., 2006). No doubt therefore, monitoring of herbicide (including desiccant) residues in cultivated plants is needed, so that people and environment can be safe. Moreover, application of herbicide desiccants modifies physiological properties of seeds and may thus lead to delayed problems, becoming evident long after the treatment.

Proteins in Relation to Vigor and Viability of White Lupin (Lupinus albus L.) Seed Stored for 26 Years

The aim of the study was to evaluate the vigor and viability as well as to determine and compare the contents of selected protein fractions of white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) seeds stored for 26 years at temperatures of -14°C and +20°C. The seeds stored at -14°C germinated in 86.3%, while the seeds stored at +20°C did not germinate at all. The viability evaluation was confirmed by the measuring electroconductivity of seed exudates. In seeds stored at -14°C the contents of γ, δ, and β conglutin were 14, 4 and 69 mg g-1 fresh mass, respectively, while in seed stored at +20°C they were 15.5, 3, 65 mg g-1 fresh mass, respectively. One-dimensional electrophoresis of γ and δ conglutin fractions indicated the presence of several intense polypeptide bands with molecular weights from 23.0 to 10.3 kDa. Polypeptide bands with a molecular weight of 22.4 and 19.8 kDa exhibited almost two times higher expression in the seeds stored at -14°C compared to the seeds stored at +20°C. Electrophoresis revealed 310 protein spots on the maps generated for seeds stored at -14°C, and 228 spots for seeds stored at +20°C. In seeds stored at +20°C most polypeptide subunits had a pI ranging from 4.5 to 7 and a molecular weight of 10–97 kDa. The greatest differences in the contents of polypeptides between the analyzed variants was observed within the range of 20–45 kDa (-14°C: 175, +20°C: 115 protein spots) and within the range of 65–97 kDa (-14°C: 103, +20°C: 75 protein spots). In seeds stored at +20°C, a clear decline in basic (8–10 pI) polypeptides was observed. The study demonstrated that the polypeptides identified as γ and δ conglutins are probably closely related to vigor and viability of seeds.