The response to oxidative stress induced by magnesium deficiency in kidney bean plants

To understand the plant response to oxidative stresses, we studied the influence of magnesium (Mg++) deficiency on the formation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), and protease activity in kidney bean plants. The expression pattern of proteins under Mg++ deficiency also was examined via two-dimensional electrophoresis. The formation of H2O2 and MDA increased in the primary leaves of plants grown in a nutrient solution deficient in Mg++. Protease activity in Mg++-deficient plants was also higher than in those grown with sufficient Mg++. The expression pattern of the proteins showed that 25 new proteins were generated and 64 proteins disappeared under Mg++-deficient conditions. Therefore, a deficiency in Mg++ may cause oxidative stress and a change in protein expression. Some of these proteins may be related to the oxidative stress induced by Mg++ deficiency.