title: Responses and acclimation of Chinese cork oak (Quercus variabilis Bl.) to metal stress: the inducible antimony tolerance in oak trees.
abstract: Antimony (Sb) pollution has become a pressing environmental problem in recent years. Trees have been proven to have great potential for the feasible phytomanagement; however, little is known about Sb retention and tolerance in trees. The Chinese cork oak (Quercus variabilis Bl.) is known to be capable of growth in soils containing high concentrations of Sb. This study explored in detail the retention and acclimation of Q. variabilis under moderate and high external Sb levels. Results revealed that Q. variabilis could tolerate and accumulate high Sb (1623.39 mg kg(-1) DW) in roots. Dynamics of Sb retention in leaves, stems, and roots of Q. variabilis were different. Leaf Sb remained at a certain level for several weeks, while in roots and stems, Sb concentrations continued to increase. Sb damaged tree's PSII reaction cores but elicited defense mechanism at the donor side of PSII. It affected the electron transport flow after QA (-) more strongly than the oxygen-evolving complex and light-harvesting pigment-protein complex II. Sb also decreased leaf chlorophyll concentrations and therefore inhibited plant growth. During acclimation to Sb toxicity, Sb concentrations in leaves, stems, and roots decreased, with photosynthetic activity and pigments recovering to normal levels by the end of the experiment. These findings suggest that Sb tolerance in Q. variabilis is inducible. Acclimation seems to be related to homeostasis of Sb in plants. Results of this study can provide useful information for trees breeding and selection of Sb phytomanagement strategies, exploiting the established ability of Q. variabilis to transport, delocalize in the leaves, and tolerate Sb pollutions.
authors: State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors: Xiulian
authors: X
authors: Zhao
authors: Lingyu
authors: L
authors: Zheng
authors: Xinli
authors: X
authors: Xia
authors: Weilun
authors: W
authors: Yin
authors: Jingpin
authors: J
authors: Lei
authors: Shengqing
authors: S
authors: Shi
authors: Xiang
authors: X
authors: Shi
authors: Huiqing
authors: H
authors: Li
authors: Qinghe
authors: Q
authors: Li
authors: Yuan
authors: Y
authors: Wei
authors: Ermei
authors: E
authors: Chang
authors: Zeping
authors: Z
authors: Jiang
authors: Jianfeng
authors: J
authors: Liu
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization; D000965:Antimony / Q000633:toxicity*; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism; D010788:Photosynthesis; D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D029963:Quercus / Q000378:metabolism*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D002734:Chlorophyll; D000965:Antimony