Role of trichome of Pteris vittata L. in arsenic hyperaccumulation

Environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) fitted with an energy dispersive X-ray microanalyzer (EDX) was used to investigate the surface micromorphology and arsenic (As) micro-distribution in Chinese brake (Pteris vittata L.). It was found that amounts of trichome, which possessed multicellular structure with the average length of 160 microm and with an average diameter of 28 microm, existed in the frond of P. vittata, and the density of trichome on the pinnate axial surface was higher than that on the petiole. Visible X-ray peak of As was recorded in the epidermal cell and trichome. The relative weight of As in the pinnate trichome, which contained the highest concentration of As among all tissues of the plant, was 2.4 and 3.9 times as much as that in the epidermal and mesophyllous cells, respectively. The As concentrations in the basal and stalk cells of the same trichome were higher than that in its cap cell. This is the first time to report that the trichome of P. vittata plays an important role in arsenic hyperaccumulation. The finding from the present study implies that much attention should be paid to the role of the trichome in understanding the hyperaccumulation and detoxicity of As in the hyperaccumulator and improving the ability of As accumulation.