Functional aspects of solanaceae trichomes in heavy metal detoxification

Abstract

Solanaceous plants are ubiquitous and are able to colonize degraded, abandoned and metal polluted habitats. Members of the family have evolved interesting extrinsic and intrinsic traits to combat the metal toxicity in multiple ways. Indumentum constituted mostly of trichome layer provides structural defense for both biotic stress (herbivory, oviposition, microbial pathogenesis) and abiotic stress (like drought, heat, freezing, photooxidation and UV radiation). Plants with heavy metal tolerance can accumulate toxic heavy metals in their trichomes as a part of their elemental defense detoxification strategy. Apart from the canonical functions, trichomes support ion and metal homeostasis, including the sequestration, compartmentalization, accumulation and excretion of heavy metals in many ways. The trichomes in Solanaceae are known to have a key role in the detoxification of Cd, Ni, Pb and Zn. Expressed sequence tag (EST)-based large-scale gene analysis in tobacco has indicated that trichomes are biologically active and stress-responsive structures. Trichome secretions and exudates also play an active role in metal detoxification process. Given that trichomes provide chemical defense from heavy metal stresses in the form of sequestration and extrusion, the plants having trichomes have potential role in remediation of contaminated soils. Solanaceae trichomes can serve as important model tissues that can be modified to attenuate metal toxicity, serve as environmental indicators and enhance phytoremediation potential of the family.

The Plant Leaf: A Biomimetic Resource for Multifunctional and Economic Design

“…In many cases, however, the functional benefit of trichomes is not yet clear [ 121 ] and awaits clarification. For instance, as recently discussed, trichomes may be active in metal detoxication [ 102 , 122 ]. Clearly, trichomes offer a huge variety of functions and sophisticated relationships between structure and mechanism.…”

Transfer and Degradation of PAHs in the Soil–Plant System: A Review

“…There have been several studies and observations based on fluorescence microscopy indicating that trichomes serve as entry points for pollutants, import them from other cell types and tissues, and contribute to their accumulation and/or dissipation. , However, the mechanisms are still not precise. Trichomes of the Solanaceae family accumulate heavy metals, and Arabidopsis thaliana trichomes contain high glutathione concentration, suggesting that trichomes may function as an efficient site of xenobiotic conjugation as a part of plant elemental defense detoxification strategy. , Moreover, Alves et al observed high PAH fluorescence as well as the detected high activity of enzymes related to PAHs conjugation and degradation, such as cytochrome P450 (CYP) reductase and glutathione S-transferase in glandular trichomes of Medicago sativa . Additionally, Cave-Radet et al suggested that in higher plants, detoxification of organic xenobiotics is likely to occur within specialized cells, such as trichomes and pavement cells in Arabidopsis and in the salt glands’ basal cells in Spartina species.…”

Woollymutation withGet02locus overcomes the polygenic nature of trichome-based pest resistance in tomato

“…Despite their minute size, plant trichomes, which are literally the first site of contact with many environmental factors, provide substantial ecological advantages. These hair-like structures help plants tolerate biotic and abiotic stresses by protecting against herbivorous insects and microorganisms, excessive ultraviolet light, heat, drought, and even heavy metals (Hülskamp, 2004; Wagner, 2004; Yang and Ye, 2013; Koul et al, 2021; Zhang et al, 2021). In particular, glandular trichomes are a critical defense mechanism against arthropod herbivores, which warrants the study of their development and biochemistry (Bar and Shtein, 2019).…”