Mechanisms of boron tolerance and accumulation in plants: a physiological comparison of the extremely boron-tolerant plant species, Puccinellia distans, with the moderately boron-tolerant Gypsophila arrostil

Environ Sci Technol. 2010 Sep 15;44(18):7089-95. doi: 10.1021/es1016334.

Abstract

The physiological characteristics of the extremely boron (B)-tolerant plant species, Puccinellia distans, were compared with those of the moderately tolerant Gypsophila arrostil, two species collected from a B-mining area of Eskişehir, Turkey. Boron was supplied to plants hydroponically at B concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 50 mg B/L for G. arrostil, and from 0.5 to 2000 mg B/L for P. distans. The results show that P. distans has a strikingly greater tolerance to B than G. arrostil. While G. arrostil was unable to survive B supply concentrations greater than 50 mg B/L, P. distans grew at B supply concentrations exceeding 1250 mg B/L. Our research supports the conclusion that from 0.5 to 50 mg B/L, P. distans is better able to restrict the accumulation of B in the whole plant, and the transport of B from root to shoot, than G. arrostil. We propose that P. distans uses several strategies to achieve B tolerance including the ability to restrict the accumulation of B relative to its accumulation of biomass, the ability to restrict the transport of B from root to shoot, and, to a lesser extent, the ability to tolerate high concentrations of B in its shoot and root tissues.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Physiological / drug effects*
  • Biomass
  • Boron / pharmacology*
  • Caryophyllaceae / drug effects
  • Caryophyllaceae / growth & development
  • Caryophyllaceae / physiology*
  • Plant Roots / drug effects
  • Plant Roots / metabolism
  • Plant Shoots / drug effects
  • Plant Shoots / metabolism
  • Poaceae / drug effects
  • Poaceae / growth & development
  • Poaceae / physiology*
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Boron