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Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2006; 8(1): 64-72
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-872892
Research Paper

Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart KG · New York

Cadmium Hyperaccumulation and Reproductive Traits in Natural Thlaspi caerulescens Populations

N. Basic1 , C. Keller2 , 3 , P. Fontanillas4 , P. Vittoz1 , G. Besnard1 , N. Galland1
  • 1Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biology Building, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
  • 2ENAC-ISTE-Laboratory of Soil Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
  • 3Present address: CEREGE, Europôle Méditerranéen de l’Arbois, Université Aix-Marseille III, BP 80, 13545 Aix-en-Provence, Cedex 4, France
  • 4Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
Further Information

Publication History

Received: March 24, 2005

Accepted: August 31, 2005

Publication Date:
08 November 2005 (online)

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Abstract

During the last decade, the metal hyperaccumulating plants have attracted considerable attention because of their potential use in decontamination of heavy metal contaminated soils. However, in most species, little is known regarding the function, the ecological and the evolutionary significances of hyperaccumulation. In our study, we investigated the parameters influencing the Cd concentration in plants as well as the biological implications of Cd hyperaccumulation in nine natural populations of Thlaspi caerulescens. First, we showed that Cd concentration in the plant was positively correlated with plant Zn, Fe, and Cu concentrations. This suggested that the physiological and/or molecular mechanisms for uptake, transport and/or accumulation of these four heavy metals interact with each other. Second, we specified a measure of Cd hyperaccumulation capacity by populations and showed that T. caerulescens plants originating from populations with high Cd hyperaccumulation capacity had better growth, by developing more and bigger leaves, taller stems, and produced more fruits and heavier seeds. These results suggest a tolerance/disposal role of Cd hyperaccumulation in this species.

Key words

Cadmium (Cd) - hyperaccumulation capacity - reproductive traits - shoot traits - Thlaspi caerulescens - tolerance.

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N. Basic

Department of Ecology and Evolution
University of Lausanne

Biology Building

1015 Lausanne

Switzerland

Email: nevena.basic@unil.ch

Editor: H. de Kroon

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