Influence of aluminium on phosphorus and calcium localization in roots of beech (Fagus sylvatica)

Abstract

Beech plants (Fagus sylvatica L. provenance Maramures) were grown in nutrient solution at low pH (4.2) and exposed to different concentrations of AlCl3. Uptake and leakage of Ca2+(45Ca2+) and H2PO4‐(32P) were studied. A high external aluminium concentration (1.0mM) reduced the uptake and export to the shoot of both calcium and phosphate, while 0.1 mM Al increased the phosphorus level in the roots. To determine the impact of aluminium on the localization of calcium and phosphate, leakage of the elements from both intact plants and plants frozen prior to the leakage experiment was studied. The leakage of Ca2+ from intact plants was not affected by prior exposure to 0.1 mM Al. Freezing of the beech plants before the leakage experiment increased leakage of calcium slightly more from roots of control plants than for roots exposed to 0.1 mM Al, indicating that even low concentrations of alminium may impede the influx of calcium across the plasma membrane in the roots. The patterns of Ca2+ leakage from roots previously exposed to 1.0 mM Al indicated that very little Ca2+ was located extracellularly. The extracellular fraction of phosphate increased with increasing Al concentration in the nutrient solution. Low Al concentration (0.1 mM) only reduced the intracellular phosphate concentration to a minor extent, while 1.0 mM Al profoundly decreased it. It is concluded that 0.1 mM AlCl3 has a limited effect upon the localization of Ca2+ and phosphate in the roots. At higher levels of Al, 0.1–1.0 mM, there is a more dramatic change in nutrient localization in the free space and uptake over the plasma membrane.