Malus rootstocks affect copper accumulation and tolerance in trees by regulating copper mobility, physiological
Huixue Wan1, Fengying Yang2, Xiaolei Zhuang1
1College of Horticulture, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110866, People's Republic of China; Key Lab of Fruit Quality Development and Regulation of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110866, People's Republic of China.
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
|June 26, 2021
Summary
M. prunifolia rootstocks enhance copper tolerance in Malus plants by limiting copper translocation and reducing toxicity. This involves regulating copper mobility, antioxidant defenses, and gene expression for better plant health under excess copper conditions.
Area of Science:
- Plant Science
- Environmental Science
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrient for plants, but excess levels cause toxicity.
- Rootstocks play a crucial role in plant adaptation to soil conditions, including metal stress.
- Understanding rootstock-mediated copper tolerance is vital for sustainable agriculture and phytoremediation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the differential roles of Malus baccata (Mb) and Malus prunifolia (Mp) rootstocks in copper accumulation and tolerance in grafted Malus plants.
- To elucidate the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying copper tolerance conferred by different rootstocks.
Main Methods:
- Grafting 'Hanfu' (HF) scions onto Mb and Mp rootstocks with varying copper tolerances.
- Exposing grafted plants to basal or excess copper conditions for 20 days.
- Analyzing plant biomass, root architecture, leaf ultrastructure, copper concentration, subcellular distribution, gene expression, and antioxidant responses.
Main Results:
- HF/Mp grafts exhibited greater biomass and less damage under excess copper compared to HF/Mb grafts.
- HF/Mp showed higher root copper accumulation but lower translocation to scions, with increased copper fixation in root cell walls.
- HF/Mp displayed enhanced antioxidant defense mechanisms and differential gene expression related to copper detoxification and transport compared to HF/Mb.
Conclusions:
- Malus prunifolia rootstocks effectively inhibit copper translocation and mitigate copper toxicity in Malus scions.
- Mp rootstocks confer tolerance by regulating copper mobility, enhancing antioxidant systems, and modulating the expression of key genes involved in copper homeostasis.
- Rootstock selection is a promising strategy for developing copper-tolerant Malus cultivars and managing copper-contaminated soils.
Keywords:
Chemical formCopperFourier transform infrared spectroscopyGene expressionSubcellular distributionMore Related Videos
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