title: Accumulation and distribution of Zn in the shoots and reproductive structures of the halophyte plant species Kosteletzkya virginica as a function of salinity.
abstract: Kosteletzkya virginica is a wetland halophyte that is a good candidate for rehabilitation of degraded salt marshes and production of oil as biodiesel. Salt marshes are frequently contaminated by heavy metals. The distribution of Zn in vegetative and reproductive organs of adult plants, and the NaCl influence on this distribution remain unknown and were thus explored in the present study. Plants were cultivated in a nutrient film technique system, from seedling stage until seed maturation in a control, Zn (100 μM), NaCl (50 mM) or Zn + NaCl medium. Photosynthesis, ion nutrition, malondialdehyde and non-protein thiol concentrations were quantified. Zinc distribution in reproductive organs was estimated by a laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry procedure (LA-ICP-MS). Adult plants accumulated up to 2 mg g(-1) DW Zn in the shoots. Zinc reduced plant growth, inhibited photosynthesis and reduced seed yield. Zinc accumulation in the seeds was only two times higher in Zn-treated plants than in controls. Exogenous NaCl neutralized the damaging action of Zn and modified the Zn distribution through a preferential accumulation of toxic ions in older leaves. Zinc was present in seed testa, endosperm and, to a lower extent, in embryo. Additional NaCl induced a chalazal retention of Zn during seed maturation and reduced final Zn seed content. It is concluded that NaCl 50 mM had a positive impact on the response of K. virginica to Zn toxicity and acts through a modification in Zn distribution rather than a decrease in Zn absorption.
authors.affiliation: Groupe de Recherche en Physiologie végétale (GRPV), Earth and Life Institute-Agronomy (ELI-A), Université catholique de Louvain, 5 (bte 7.07.13) Place Croix du Sud, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ruiming
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Muriel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quinet
authors.forename: Emilie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: André
authors.forename: Johannes Teun
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: van Elteren
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Destrebecq
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vogel-Mikuš
authors.forename: Guangling
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Debeljak
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lefèvre
authors.forename: Stanley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lutts
mesh_terms: D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D054712:Salinity; D055051:Salt-Tolerant Plants / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D036226:Seedlings / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D012639:Seeds / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012965:Sodium Chloride; D015032:Zinc