Effects of low-energy N+-beam implantation on root growth in Arabidopsis seedlings

The effects of ion implantation on the morphology changes and biological responses of plants are dependent on implantation doses. Previous studies mainly focus on the application of ion-beam technology in genetic mutation. Our knowledge regarding the mechanism underlying the plant growth inhibition induced by ion implantation remains limited. In this study, we explore the responses of root growth to low-energy N+-beam implantation using implanted Arabidopsis seeds. Our results showed that the root and root tip length were obviously reduced by implantation with large doses of low-energy N+ beam. The analysis of confocal images showed that ion implantation reduced the cell viability and cell division activity in root meristem. The production rate of superoxide radical (O2
- -) and contents of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in roots under ion implantation were markedly higher than those of controls. Transcriptional expression analysis of selected genes revealed that Arabidopsis RBOH genes associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were significantly up-regulated in roots in response to ion implantation. The activities of antioxidant enzymes were also induced by ion implantation. Moreover, ROS scavenging obviously enhanced cell viability and cell division in response to ion implantation and alleviated the root growth inhibition of the implanted seedlings. Our results suggest that the overproduction of ROS induced by ion implantation is involved in the inhibitory effect of low-energy ion beam on root growth by affecting the cell viability and cell division of root meristem in Arabidopsis seedlings.