The effects of copper, manganese and zinc on plant growth and elemental accumulation in the manganese-hyperaccumulator Phytolacca americana

Influence of Soil Chemistry and Plant Physiology in the Phytoremediation of Cu, Mn, and Zn

“…The accumulation of trace metals in tissues can cause toxicity by damaging the cell structure (e.g., stunting and chlorosis) and/or via replacement of other essential nutrients (Zhao et al, 2012). Combinations of trace metals and organic pollutants may exert either alleviating or exacerbating effects on plant growth, depending on plant species, plant growth stage, the concentrations and properties of pollutants, and soil conditions such as pH and OM content (Chigbo et al, 2013).…”

“…Trace metal storage occurs also in highly tolerant cells such as the leaf epidermis and the vein bundle sheath, as long as the metal import remains under control. Once the trace metal accumulation exceeds the tolerance threshold of the plant, the metals would be transported to mesophyll cells, which are more sensitive to toxic metals than other cell types, allowing photosynthesis to be threatened (Zhao et al, 2012). At present, the physiological mechanisms involved in the sequestration of trace metals between different leaf tissues remain only partially understood.…”

“…Normally, Mn content in plants varies from 10 to 100 μg g −1 (Hansch and Mendel, 2009;White and Brown, 2010). Below 10 and above 200 μg g −1 , Mn deficiency/toxicity occurs and plant physiological processes are compromised (Najeeb et al, 2009;Zhao et al, 2012).…”

Copper changes the yield and cadmium/zinc accumulation and cellular distribution in the cadmium/zinc hyperaccumulator Sedum plumbizincicola

“…Interactions among metals can occur during these processes. Interactions might include competition for metal transporters during membrane transport where one transporter can carry different metals or disturbance of normal plant physiological functions affecting the uptake or translocation of other metals in the plant [7,13]. 5-50 M Cu had no significant effect on plant Cd or Zn uptake or translocation compared to the control.…”

“…For example, Ni was found to affect Cu and Fe homeostasis in the Ni-hyperaccumulator Alyssum inflatum [6] and Cu, Mn and Zn affected the Mn-hyperaccumulator Phytolacca americana [7], with Mn interacting with Cd in the same plant species [8]. Cadmium and Zn interactions occurred during uptake, translocation and subcellular distribution in the hyperaccumulators Potentilla griffithii, Thlaspi caerulescens, and Arabidopsis halleri [9][10][11].…”