Effects of Cu 2+ on Wheat Seedlings Exposed to Enhanced Ultraviolet-B Radiation

Abstract

To explore the wheat seedling development and physiological responses under copper contamination and enhanced ultraviolet-B (UV-B) irradiation, 10 mg·L−1 CuCl2 solution was irrigated to Triticum aestivum L. cv. Linyuan 2069 one day after germination with or without ultraviolet-B (10.08 kJ m−2·d−1) light exposure, respectively. The results showed that Cu2+ and UV-B caused various adverse effects on wheat seedling development. Cu2+ hindered root development by significantly reducing root number, while UV-B dwarfed seedling height and decreased the leaf length. Chlorophyll content and activity of ATPase in thylakoid membrane of wheat leaves dropped significantly under enhanced UV-B while the activity of ATPase in plasma membrane of seedling root was significantly decreased in Cu2+ group. Relative electric conductivity of leaves significantly increased in both Cu2+ and UV-B groups, so did the biomass. We also observed that combined Cu2+ and UV-B showed more adverse effects on wheat seedlings than either of them alone except for root growth.