Transgenerational effects of chromium stress at phenotypic and molecular level in Arabidopsis thaliana

F1 Arabidopsis thaliana plants from parents grown in absence/presence of acute/chronic Cr stress were analyzed in terms of Cr tolerance (evaluated by the half maximal effective concentration, EC50), germination, root length and hydroxide peroxide. F1 generation from parents grown in both acute and chronic stress showed significant higher levels of EC50 than F1 from unstressed parents. In addition, both F1 from Cr stressed parents showed quicker germination under Cr presence and F1 from parents cultivated under chronic stress displayed reduction of hydroxide peroxide levels under Cr stress compared to control. RNA-seq analyses were performed at 1 and 3 weeks after the beginning of stress at two levels of Cr excess for both generation (F0 and F1).