Exposure to nickel (Ni) at high concentrations can lead to production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting in oxidative damage at the cellular level. We investigated the antioxidative responses of Nicotiana tabacum cv BY-2 cell suspension to Ni stress (0.075 and 0.75 mM NiCl2) over a 72 h period with special attention to potential alterations in isoenzymes of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione reductase (GR). Two main SOD isoenzymes were observed, a Mn-SOD (band I) and a Fe-SOD (band II), as well as one CAT isoenzyme and four GR isoenzymes. Activity staining analysis revealed that CAT activity plays a major role in the early response to Ni-induced oxidative stress, particularly when the Ni concentration used was low, whilst a specific GR isoenzyme appears to respond to the Ni-induced oxidative stress when a much higher Ni concentration was used to induce the stress for the same period of treatment. These results illustrate the importance and advantages of determining individual isoenzyme activities.
antioxidant enzymes; catalase; nickel; superoxide dismutase
