title: Phytoremediation capacity of aquatic plants is associated with the degree of phytochelatin polymerization.
abstract: Phytochelatins (PCs) play important role in phytoremediation as heavy metal binding peptides. In the present study, the association between heavy metal removal capacity and phytochelatin synthesis was compared through the examination of three aquatic plants: Elodea canadensis, Salvinia natans and Lemna minor. In case of a Cd treatment, or a Cd treatment combined with Cu and Zn, the highest removal capacity was observed in L. minor. At the same time, E. canadensis showed the lowest removal capacity except for Zn. The heavy metal-induced (Cu+Zn+Cd) oxidative stress generated the highest ascorbate level in L. minor. Cd in itself or combined with the other two metals induced a 10-15-fold increase in the amount of ɣ-glutamylcysteine in L. minor while no or smaller changes were observed in the other two species. Correspondingly, the total PC content was 6-8-fold greater in L. minor. In addition, PCs with higher degree of polymerization were only observed in L. minor (PC4, PC6 and PC7) while PC2 and PC3 occurred in E. canadensis and S. natans only. The correlation analysis indicated that the higher phytoremediation capacity of L. minor was associated with the synthesis of PCs and their higher degree of polymerization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Technological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Agricultural Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Martonvásár, Hungary.
authors.forename: Anamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Török
authors.affiliation: Agricultural Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Martonvásár, Hungary.
authors.forename: Zsolt
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gulyás
authors.affiliation: Agricultural Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Martonvásár, Hungary.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Szalai
authors.affiliation: Agricultural Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Martonvásár, Hungary. Electronic address: kocsy.gabor@agrar.mta.hu.
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kocsy
authors.affiliation: Department of Technological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Majdik
mesh_terms: D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000633:toxicity; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D054811:Phytochelatins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism*; D058105:Polymerization
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D010940:Plant Proteins; D054811:Phytochelatins; D001205:Ascorbic Acid
keywords: Cadmium; Heavy metal; Lemna minor; Phytochelatin synthesis; Phytoremediation