Abstract
The discovery of nickel hyperaccumulation, in Pycnandra acuminata, was the start of a global quest in this fascinating phenomenon. Despite recent advances in physiology and molecular genetics of hyperaccumulation, the mechanisms and tolerance of Ni accumulation in the most extreme example reported to date, P. acuminata, remains enigmatic. We conducted a hydroponic experiment to establish Ni tolerance levels and translocation pattern in roots and shoots of P. acuminata, and analysed elemental partitioning to gain insight into Ni regulation. We combined a phylogeny and foliar Ni concentrations to assess the incidence of hyperaccumulation within the genus Pycnandra. Hydroponic dosing experiments revealed that P. acuminata can resist extreme Ni concentrations in solution (up to 3000 μM), and dosing at 100 μM Ni was beneficial to growth. All plant parts were highly enriched in Ni, but the latex had extreme Ni concentration (124 000 µg g-1). Hyperaccumulation evolved independently in only two subgenera and five species. The extremely high level of Ni tolerance is posited to derive from the unique properties of laticifers. The evolutionary and ecological significance of Ni hyperaccumulation in Pycnandra is discussed in light of these findings. We suggest that Ni-rich laticifers might be more widespread and that more investigation is warranted.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Pycnandra acuminata tolerated solution nickel up to 3000 μM.
- Taxon
- P. acuminata
Pycnandra acuminatae0 - Treatment
- Ni concentrations in solution (up to 3000 μM)e0
- Outcome
- resist extreme Ni concentrationse0
- Direction
- resiste0
- Value
- 3000 μMe0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“P. acuminata can resist extreme Ni concentrations in solution (up to 3000 μM)”
Claim · model-written summary
Dosing with 100 μM nickel benefited growth of P. acuminata.
- Taxon
- P. acuminataPycnandra acuminatae0
- Treatment
- dosing at 100 μM Nie0
- Outcome
- growthe0
- Direction
- beneficiale0
- Value
- 100 μMe0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“P. acuminata can resist extreme Ni concentrations in solution (up to 3000 μM), and dosing at 100 μM Ni was beneficial to growth.”
Claim · model-written summary
All plant parts were highly enriched in nickel.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“All plant parts were highly enriched in Ni”
t0“Pycnandra”
Claim · model-written summary
Latex had an extreme nickel concentration of 124 000 µg g-1.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the latex had extreme Ni concentration (124 000 µg g-1)”
t0“Pycnandra”
Claim · model-written summary
Hyperaccumulation evolved independently in two Pycnandra subgenera and five species.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Hyperaccumulation evolved independently in only two subgenera and five species.”
t0“Pycnandra”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors propose that laticifer properties explain extreme nickel tolerance.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The extremely high level of Ni tolerance is posited to derive from the unique properties of laticifers.”
t0“Pycnandra”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggest nickel-rich laticifers may be more widespread and warrant investigation.
- Outcome
- more investigation is warrantede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“We suggest that Ni-rich laticifers might be more widespread and that more investigation is warranted.”
t0“Pycnandra”