title: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can decrease the uptake of uranium by subterranean clover grown at high levels of uranium in soil.
abstract: Subterranean clover inoculated or not with the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus Glomus intraradices was grown on soil containing six levels of 238U in the range 0-87 mg kg(-1). Increasing U concentration in soil enhanced the U concentration in roots and shoots of both mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal plants but had no significant effects on plant dry matter production or root AM colonization. Mycorrhizas increased the shoot dry matter and P concentration in roots and shoots, while in most cases, it decreased the Ca, Mg and K concentrations in plants. The AM fungus influenced U concentration in plants only in the treatment receiving 87 mg U kg(-1) soil. In this case, U concentration in shoots of nonmycorrhizal plants was 1.7 times that of shoots of mycorrhizal plants. These results suggested that mycorrhizal fungi can limit U accumulation by plants exposed to high levels of U in soil.
authors.affiliation: Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK-CEN), Radiation Protection Research Department, Radioecology Section, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium. grufyiki@sckcen.be
authors.forename: Gervais
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rufyikiri
authors.forename: Lien
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huysmans
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wannijn
authors.forename: May
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Hees
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leyval
authors.forename: Iver
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jakobsen
mesh_terms: D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D029902:Medicago / Q000378:metabolism*; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000378:metabolism*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000378:metabolism; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D014501:Uranium