title: Characterization of an ecotype of brake-fern, Pteris vittata, for arsenic tolerance and accumulation in plant biomass.
abstract: An ecotype of brake fern (Pteris vittata) was assessed for arsenic tolerance and accumulation in its biomass under in vivo and in vitro condition; using soil, and agar-gelled Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with different concentrations of arsenic. The plants were raised in soil amended with 100-1000 mg arsenic kg(-1) soil, and MS medium was supplemented with 10-300 mg arsenic L(-1) medium using Na2HAsO4 x x 7H2O. The spores and haploid gametophytic-prothalli were raised in vitro on MS medium supplemented with arsenic. The field plants showed normal growth and biomass formation in arsenic amended soil, and accumulated 1908-4700 mg arsenic kg(-1) dry aerial biomass after 10 weeks of growth. Arsenic toxicity was observed above > 200 mg arsenic kg(-1) soil. The concentrations of arsenic accumulated in the plant biomass were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Normal plants were developed from spores and gametophyte prothalli on the MS media supplemented with 50-200 mg arsenic L(-1) medium. The in vitro raised plants were tolerant to 300 mg arsenic kg(-1) of soil and accumulated up to 3232 mg arsenic kg(-1) dry aerial biomass that showed better growth performance, biomass generation and arsenic accumulation in comparison to the field plants.
authors.affiliation: National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Maharashtra, India. bk_sarangi@neeri.res.in
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Sarangi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chakrabarti
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D018533:Biomass; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D032495:Pteris / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D001151:Arsenic