Abstract
Phytoextraction using hyperaccumulating plants is a method for the remediation of soils contaminated with trace elements (TEs). As a strategy for improvement, the concept of fungal-assisted phytoextraction has emerged in the last decade. However, the role played by fungal endophytes of hyperaccumulating plants in phytoextraction is poorly studied. Here, fungal endophytes isolated from calamine or non-metalliferous populations of the Cd/Zn hyperaccumulator Noccaea caerulescens were tested for their growth promotion abilities affecting the host plant. Plants were inoculated with seven different isolates and grown for 2 months in trace element (TE)-contaminated soil. The outcomes of the interactions between N. caerulescens and its native strains ranged from neutral to beneficial. Among the strains, Alternaria thlaspis and Metapochonia rubescens, respectively, isolated from the roots of a non-metallicolous and a calamine population of N. caerulescens, respectively, exhibited the most promising abilities to enhance the Zn phytoextraction potential of N. caerulescens related to a significant increase of the plant biomass. These strains significantly increased the root elemental composition, particularly in the case of K, P, and S, suggesting an improvement of the plant nutrition. Results obtained in this study provide new insights into the relevance of microbial-assisted phytoextraction approaches in the case of hyperaccumulating plants.
Highlights
Among the different phytoremediation approaches applied, phytoextraction using hyperaccumulating plants is a method for the remediation of soils contaminated with trace elements (TE) (Robinson et al, 1998; Zhao et al, 2003; McGrath et al, 2006)
By examining fungal endophytes isolated from calamine or non-metalliferous populations of N. caerulescens, this study aimed to (i) characterize some of their plant-growth promoting (PGP) abilities and their influence on the mobility of TE through in vitro tests, (ii) assess their capacity to colonize the roots of the hyperaccumulating plant N. caerulescens, (iii) study their effect on plant growth, leaf pigment contents and mineral nutrient status, and (iv) determine their impact on the accumulation and phytoextraction of Cd and Zn
Among the collection of endophytic strains isolated from the parts of N. caerulescens, the seven strains studied in the present study were isolated from populations originating from two calamine stations (Ganges and Montdardier; Occitanie, France) and two non-metallicolous stations located in Croix des Moinats (Grand Est, France) and Baraquette (Occitanie, France) (Gonneau, 2014)
Summary
Among the different phytoremediation approaches applied, phytoextraction using hyperaccumulating plants is a method for the remediation of soils contaminated with trace elements (TE) (Robinson et al, 1998; Zhao et al, 2003; McGrath et al, 2006). N. caerulescens can concentrate up to 2,890 μg Cd g−1 and 53,450 μg Zn g−1 in dry shoots (Reeves et al, 2001); significant variations in metal accumulation depend on the populations and edaphic type (Gonneau et al, 2014; Sterckeman et al, 2017). Among all the known populations, the calamine Ganges ecotype is the most studied due to its high capacity to accumulate Cd and its tolerance to Cd and Zn (Assunção et al, 2003; Gonneau et al, 2014)
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