Browsing by Author "van der Ent, A"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Habitat-specific allocations of elements in Atriplex lentiformis seeds indicate adaptation to metal toxicity
    (Oxford University Press, 2024-05-18) Murawska-Wlodarczyk, K; van der Ent, A; Wlodarczyk, T; Słomka, A; Paterson, DJ; Brueckner, D; Przybyłowicz, WJ; Mesjasz-Przybyłowicz, J; Ryan, CC; Maier, RM; Babst-Kostecka, A
    Self-sustaining vegetation in metal-contaminated areas is essential for rebuilding ecological resilience and community stability in degraded lands. Metal-tolerant plants originating from contaminated post-mining areas may hold the key to successful plant establishment and growth. Yet, little is known about the impact of metal toxicity on reproductive strategies, metal accumulation, and allocation patterns at the seed stage. Our research focused on the metal tolerant Atriplex lentiformis. Specifically, we examined the effects of toxic metal(loid) concentration in soils on variability in its reproductive strategies, including germination patterns, elemental uptake, and allocation within the seeds. We employed advanced imaging techniques like synchrotron X-ray fluorescence microscopy (2D scans and 3D tomograms) combined with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to reveal significant differences in metal(loid) concentration and distribution within the seed structures of A. lentiformis from contrasting habitats. Exclusive Zn hotspots of high concentrations were found in the seeds of the metallicolous accession, primarily in the sensitive tissues of shoot apical meristems and root zones of the seed embryos. Our findings offer novel insights into phenotypic variability and metal tolerance and accumulation in plants from extreme environments. This knowledge can be applied to enhance plant survival and performance in land restoration efforts. © The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Mechanisms of uptake and translocation of thallium in brassica vegetables: an x‑ray fluorescence microspectroscopic investigation
    (American Chemical Society, 2024-01-02) Corzo-Remigio, A; Harris, HH; Kidman, CJ; Nkrumah, PN; Casey, LW; Paterson, DJ; Edraki, M; van der Ent, A
    Most nonoccupational human exposure to thallium (Tl) occurs via consumption of contaminated food crops. Brassica cultivars are common crops that can accumulate more than 500 μg Tl g–1. Knowledge of Tl uptake and translocation mechanisms in Brassica cultivars is fundamental to developing methods to inhibit Tl uptake or conversely for potential use in phytoremediation of polluted soils. Brassica cultivars (25 in total) were subjected to Tl dosing to screen for Tl accumulation. Seven high Tl-accumulating varieties were selected for follow-up Tl dosing experiments. The highest Tl accumulating Brassica cultivars were analyzed by synchrotron-based micro-X-ray fluorescence to investigate the Tl distribution and synchrotron-based X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy (XANES) to unravel Tl chemical speciation. The cultivars exhibited different Tl tolerance and accumulation patterns with some reaching up to 8300 μg Tl g–1. The translocation factors for all the cultivars were >1 with Brassica oleracea var. acephala (kale) having the highest translocation factor of 167. In this cultivar, Tl is preferentially localized in the venules toward the apex and along the foliar margins and in minute hot spots in the leaf blade. This study revealed through scanning electron microscopy and X-ray fluorescence analysis that highly Tl-enriched crystals occur in the stoma openings of the leaves. The finding is further validated by XANES spectra that show that Tl(I) dominates in the aqueous as well as in the solid form. The high accumulation of Tl in these Brassica crops has important implications for food safety and results of this study help to understand the mechanisms of Tl uptake and translocation in these crops. © 2024 American Chemical Society
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Non-glandular trichomes of sunflower are important in the absorption and translocation of foliar-applied Zn
    (Oxford University Press, 2021-06-22) Li, C; Wu, J; Blamey, FPC; Wang, LL; Zhou, L; Paterson, DJ; van der Ent, A; Fernández, V; Lombi, E; Wang, Y; Kopittke, PM
    Trichomes are potentially important for absorption of foliar fertilizers. A study has shown that the non-glandular trichromes (NGTs) of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) accumulated high concentrations of foliar-applied zinc (Zn); however, the mechanisms of Zn accumulation in the NGTs and the fate of this Zn are unclear. Here we investigated how foliar-applied Zn accumulates in the NGTs and the subsequent translocation of this Zn. Time-resolved synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence microscopy and transcriptional analyses were used to probe the movement of Zn in the NGTs, with the cuticle composition of the NGTs examined using confocal Raman microscopy. The accumulation of Zn in the NGTs is both an initial preferential absorption process and a subsequent translocation process. This preferred absorption is likely because the NGT base has a higher hydrophilicity, whilst the subsequent translocation is due to the presence of plasmodesmata, Zn-chelating ligands, and Zn transporters in the NGTs. Furthermore, the Zn sequestered in the NGTs was eventually translocated out of the trichome once the leaf Zn concentration had decreased, suggesting that the NGTs are also important in maintaining leaf Zn homeostasis. This study demonstrates for the first time that trichomes have a key structural and functional role in the absorption and translocation of foliar-applied Zn. © The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.