Characteristics of arsenic accumulation by Pteris and non-Pteris ferns

• Published in: Plant and soil Vol. 277; no. 1-2; pp. 117 - 126
• Main Authors: Luongo, T, Ma, L.Q
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.12.2005; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adiantum; Adiantum hispidulum; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Arachnoides simplicor; Arsenates; Arsenic; arsenites; Autoecology; Biological and medical sciences; Cyrtomium falcatum; Didymochlaena; Didymochlaena truncatula; Dryopteris; Dryopteris atrata; Dryopteris erythrosora; Ferns; ferns and fern allies; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hyperaccumulators; Phosphates; Plant physiology and development; Plant roots; Plants; Plants and fungi; Pteris; Pteris cretica; Pteris dentata; Pteris ensiformis; Pteris quadriavrita; Pteris vittata; Regular articles; Soil pollution; Soil water; soil-plant interactions; Speciation; translocation (plant physiology); uptake mechanisms; Water and solutes. Absorption, translocation and permeability; Non metal; Soil chemistry; toxicity; Hyperaccumulation; Arsenic; Interspecific comparison; Detoxification; Bioinorganic chemistry; Pteridophyta; Metabolism; Pteris; Group VA element; Semimetal; Absorption; Phytotoxicity; Characteristics; metabolism uptake; Herbaceous plant; Soil science; Biological accumulation; Soil plant relation; mechanisms; Filicineae
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1007/s11104-005-6335-9

This research was conducted to understand the mechanisms of arsenic hyperaccumulation in Pteris vittata by comparing the characteristics of arsenic accumulation in Pteris and non-Pteris ferns. Seven Pteris (P.vittata, P. Cretica Rowerii, P. Cretica Parkerii, P. Cretica Albo-lineata, P. Quadriavrita, P. Ensiformis and P. Dentata) and six non-Pteris (Arachnoides simplicor, Didymochlaena truncatula, Dryopteris atrata, Dryopteris erythrosora, Cyrtomium falcatum, and Adiantum hispidulum) ferns were exposed to 0, 1 and 10 mgL-1 arsenic as sodium arsenate for 14-d in hydroponic systems. As a group, the Pteris ferns were more efficient in arsenic accumulation than the non-Pteris ferns, with P. vittata being the most efficient followed by P. cretica. When exposed to 10 mg L-1 As, arsenic concentrations in the fronds and roots of P. vittata were 1748 and 503 mg kg-1. Though not all Pteris ferns were efficient in accumulating arsenic, none of the non-Pteris ferns was an efficient As accumulator (the highest concentration being 452 mg kg-1). The fact that frond arsenic concentrations in the control were highly correlated with those exposed to As (r2 = 0.76–0.87) may suggest that they may be used as a preliminary tool to screen potential arsenic hyperaccumulators. Our research confirms that the ability of P. vittata to translocate arsenic from the roots to the fronds (73–77% As in the fronds), reduce arsenate to arsenite in the fronds (>50% AsIII in the fronds), and maintain high concentrations of phosphate in the roots (48–53% in the roots) all contributed to its arsenic tolerance and hyperaccumulation.