title: The role of glomalin, a protein produced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, in sequestering potentially toxic elements.
abstract: Naturally occurring soil organic compounds stabilize potentially toxic elements (PTEs) such as Cu, Cd, Pb, and Mn. The hypothesis of this work was that an insoluble glycoprotein, glomalin, produced in copious amounts on hyphae of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) sequesters PTEs. Glomalin can be extracted from laboratory cultures of AMF and from soils. Three different experiments were conducted. Experiment 1 showed that glomalin extracted from two polluted soils contained 1.6-4.3 mg Cu, 0.02-0.08 mg Cd, and 0.62-1.12 mg Pb/g glomalin. Experiment 2 showed that glomalin from hyphae of an isolate of Gigaspora rosea sequestered up to 28 mg Cu/g in vitro. Experiment 3 tested in vivo differences in Cu sequestration by Cu-tolerant and non-tolerant isolates of Glomus mosseae colonizing sorghum. Plants were fed with nutrient solution containing 0.5, 10 or 20 microM of Cu. Although no differences between isolates were detected, mean values for the 20 microM Cu level were 1.6, 0.4, and 0.3 mg Cu/g for glomalin extracted from hyphae, from sand after removal of hyphae and from hyphae attached to roots, respectively. Glomalin should be considered for biostabilization leading to remediation of polluted soils.
authors.affiliation: Natural Resources Institute, Colegio de Postgraduados, Carr. Mexico-Texcoco Km 36.5, Montecillo Edo. de Mexico, 56230 Mexico. carmeng@colpos.mx
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: González-Chávez
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carrillo-González
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Nichols
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000494:pharmacology; D045868:Sorghum / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D003300:Copper