Effect of lanthanum(III) on the production of ethylene and reactive oxygen species in soybean seedlings exposed to the enhanced ultraviolet-B radiation

• The enhanced UV-B radiation caused active oxygen species accumulation and ethylene evolution.
• La(III) scavenged active oxygen species in soybean induced by the enhanced UV-B radiation.
• La(III) slowed down ethylene evolution in soybean induced by the enhanced UV-B radiation.
• La(III) alleviated the ROS production induced by ethylene.

The enhanced ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation caused by ozone depletion may exert deleterious effects on plants. Therefore, studies on the effect of UV-B radiation on plants, as well as studies on the methods for alleviating the deleterious effects by chemical control, are of great significance. In this study, after soybean (Glycine max) seedlings were exposed to UV-B radiation (10.2 and 13.8 kJ m−2 day−1) for 5 days and the followed 6 days of restoration, respectively, the effects of 20 mg L−1 lanthanum (III) [La(III)] on leaf phenotype, photosynthetic rate, and production of ethylene and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were investigated. The results indicated that the exposure to 10.2 and 13.8 kJ m−2 day−1 UV-B radiation could cause injury to the leaf phenotype, and lead to the decrease in the content of chlorophyll and the net photosynthetic rate, and the increase in the contents of ROS, ethylene and 1-aminocyclopropanecarboxylic acid, and 1-aminocyclopropanecarboxylic acid synthase activity in soybean seedlings. Following the withdrawal of the enhanced UV-B radiation, the above mentioned parameters gradually recovered, and the recovery of soybean seedlings exposed to 10.2 kJ m−2 day−1 UV-B radiation was faster than those in soybean seedlings exposed to 13.8 kJ m−2 day−1 UV-B radiation. The leaf injury and the changes in the above indices that were induced by the enhanced UV-B radiation, especially at 10.2 kJ m−2 day−1, were alleviated after the pretreatment of soybean seedlings with 20 mg L−1 La(III). The results of the correlation analysis demonstrated that the injury to the leaf phenotype and the decrease in the photosynthetic rate of soybean seedlings were correlated with the increase in the ROS content that was induced by ethylene in soybean seedlings. The pretreatment with 20 mg L−1 La(III) alleviated the injury caused by the enhanced UV-B radiation through the regulation of the ROS production.