title: Influence of cadmium and mycorrhizal fungi on the fatty acid profile of flax (Linum usitatissimum) seeds.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The soil environment can affect not only the quantity of crops produced but also their nutritional quality. We examined the combined effects of below-ground cadmium (0, 5, and 15 ppm) and mycorrhizal fungi (presence and absence) on the concentration of five major fatty acids within flax seeds (Linum usitatissimum).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plants grown with mycorrhizal fungi produced seeds that contained higher concentrations of unsaturated (18:1, 18:2 and 18:3), but not saturated (16:0 and 18:0) fatty acids. The effects of mycorrhizal fungi on the concentration of unsaturated fatty acids in seeds were most pronounced when plant roots were exposed to 15 ppm Cd (i.e. the concentrations of 18:1, 18:2 and 18:3 increased by 169%, 370% and 150%, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pronounced effects of mycorrhizal fungi on the concentration of unsaturated fatty acids at 15 ppm Cd may have been due to the presence of elevated levels of Cd within seeds. Our results suggest that, once the concentration of cadmium within seeds reaches a certain threshold, this heavy metal may improve the efficiency of enzymes that convert saturated fatty acids to unsaturated fatty acids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Chemistry, Christopher Newport University, Newport News, VA 23606, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Chemistry, Christopher Newport University, Newport News, VA 23606, USA.
authors.forename: Ellen R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Simmons
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Chemistry, Christopher Newport University, Newport News, VA 23606, USA.
authors.forename: Jack C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.affiliation: Department of Organismal and Environmental Biology, Christopher Newport University, Newport News, VA 23606, US.
authors.forename: Lauren G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Ruane
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Chemistry, Christopher Newport University, Newport News, VA 23606, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Carney
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D002104:Cadmium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism*; D019597:Flax / Q000254:growth & development*; D005658:Fungi / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000187:drug effects*; D012639:Seeds / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D012987:Soil; D002104:Cadmium
keywords: Linum usitatissimum; cadmium; fatty acid; fatty acid methyl ester; flax; mycorrhizal fungi