Abstract

Nickel uptake and cellular compartmentation were investigated in three Ni hyperaccumulators: Alyssum bertolonii (Desv), Alyssum lesbiacum (Candargy) and Thlaspi goesingense (Hálácsy). The three species showed similar hyperaccumulation of Ni, but T. goesingense was less tolerant to Ni than the two Alyssum species. An addition of 500 mg Ni kg(-1) to a nutrient-rich growth medium significantly increased shoot biomass of all three species, suggesting that the Ni hyperaccumulators have a higher requirement for Ni than normal plants. Energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDXA) was performed on frozen-hydrated tissues of leaves (all species) and stems (Alyssum only). In all species analysed, Ni was distributed preferentially in the epidermal cells, most likely in the vacuoles, of the leaves and stems. In stems, there was a second peak of Ni in the boundary cells between the cortical parenchyma and the vascular cylinder. The non-glandular trichomes on the leaf surfaces of the two Alyssum species were highly enriched with Ca, but contained little Ni except in the base. In the leaves of T. goesingense, the large elongated epidermal cells contained more Ni than the cells of the stomatal complexes. The role of cellular compartmentation in Ni hyperaccumulation is discussed.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.