Тhe putative physiological roles of nitrogen oxide (NO) in young maize plants and its potential ability to enhance plant tolerance to environmental constrains, like heavy metal toxicity were studied. Cadmium (Cd) stress decreased the shoot and root length and chlorophyll content, reduced the photosynthetic rate, transpiration and stomatal conductance. The exogenous simultaneous application of sodium nitroprusside, the NO donor, to Cd-treated plants recovered to high extent the rate of

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... esis, transpiration and chlorophyll content. NO mitigated the cadmium damage to photosystem II reaction center by increasing the maximum quantum yield and markedly enhancing the effective quantum yield. The membrane permeability was restored. The data suggest that nitric oxide may protect cells by exerting ameliorating effect on Cd toxicity and partially restore photosynthesis. Abbreviations: PS II-photosystem 2; F v /F m-maximum quantum yield of PS II; NPQ-nonphotochemical quenching; PEPC-phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase; RuBPC-ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase; RWC-relative water content; SNP-sodium nitroprusside; WUE-water use efficiency. Citation: Yordanova R., V. Baydanova, V. Peeva, 2017. Nitric oxide mediates the stress response induced by cadmium in maize plants. Genetics and Plant Physiology, 7(3-4): 121-134.