Oxidative stress and potential biomarkers in tomato seedlings subjected to soil lead contamination.

Oxidative stress and defense response in leaves of tomato seedlings exposed to extraneous lead (Pb) at 0-500 mg kg(-1) soil for nearly 2 months were investigated. Superoxide radical (O(2)(-)) was quantified by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). Results showed that levels of O(2)(-), malondialdehyde (MDA), carbonyl group and superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased with the increase of bioavailable Pb. The O(2)(-) level was well correlated with MDA, carbonyl groups and SOD activities, suggesting that O(2)(-) might be responsible for them. Intensities in two bands of SOD isoenzymes increased along with added Pb in treatments against control, implying that multigenic expression in SOD enzymes were activated to counteract O(2)(-) stress. Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) was induced sensitively by soil Pb, which was to alleviate oxidative damage (i.e. increased carbonyl groups). The overall results indicated that HSP70 and O(2)(-) were the most sensitive parameters and the combination of them might be potential biomarkers of soil Pb contamination in tomato seedlings.