Effects of mineral nutrient imbalance,DNA lesion and DNA-protein crosslink on growth of Vicia faba L.seedlings hydroponically cultivated in concentrations of extraneous lanthanum (La) for 20 days were investigated in the present experiment.The results showed that contents of La,Cu or K elements in roots generally changed synchronously with those in leaves,while Ca,Fe,Zn,Mg,Mn or P in the roots altered inversely to those in the leaves.Thus,the extraneous La led to redistribution and imbalance of mineral nutrient elements in the roots and leaves.DNA lesion and DNA-protein crosslink were investigated by single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE)and sodium dodecyl sulfate/potassium (SDS/K+) precipitation methods,respectively.The results demonstrated that the increasing La induced DNA break and DNA-protein crosslinks (DPCs) in the seedlings.These results suggested that mineral nutrient imbalance,DNA lesion and DNA-protein crosslink were involved in the growth retardation and growth alteration of the seedlings,which may help to understand the mechanisms of rare earth elements (REEs) on plant growth.