Phytate induced arsenic uptake and plant growth in arsenic-hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) Vol. 226; pp. 212 - 218
• Main Authors: Liu, Xue, Fu, Jing–Wei, Tang, Ni, da Silva, E.B., Cao, Yue, Turner, Benjamin L., Chen, Yanshan, Ma, Lena Q.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-07-2017
• Subjects: Arsenic; Arsenic - analysis; Arsenic - metabolism; Biodegradation, Environmental; Hyperaccumulation; Phosphorus; Phytate; Phytic Acid - metabolism; Plant Development - drug effects; Plant Roots - drug effects; Pteris - physiology; Pteris ensiformis; Pteris vittata; Soil; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soil Pollutants - metabolism; Pteris ensiformis; Hyperaccumulation; Phosphorus; Arsenic; Pteris vittata; Phytate
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.04.021

Phytate is abundant in soils, which is stable and unavailable for plant uptake. However, it occurs in root exudates of As-hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata (PV). To elucidate its effect on As uptake and growth, P. vittata were grown on agar media (63 μM P) containing 50 μM As and/or 50 or 500 μM phytate with non As-hyperaccumulator Pteris ensiformis (PE) as a congeneric control for 60 d. Phytate induced efficient As and P uptake, and enhanced growth in PV, but had little effects on PE. The As concentrations in PV fronds and roots were 157 and 31 mg kg−1 in As50+phytate50, 2.2- and 3.1-fold that of As50 treatment. Phosphorus uptake by PV was reduced by 27% in As treatment than the control (P vs. P+As) but increased by 73% comparing phytate500 to phytate500+As, indicating that PV effectively took up P from phytate. Neither As nor phytate affected Fe accumulation in PV, but phytate reduced root Fe concentration in PE (46–56%). As such, the increased As and P and the unsuppressed Fe uptake in PV probably promoted PV growth. Thus, supplying phytate to As-contaminated soils may promote As uptake and growth in PV and its phytoremediation ability.
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•Studied impact of phytate on As uptake by As-hyperaccumulator P. vittata.•P. vittata effectively used phytate and was efficient in Fe utilization.•Phytate induced efficient As uptake and growth in P. vittata.•Phytate can enhance phytoremediation of As-contaminated soils by P. vittata.
Phytate can enhance phytoremediation by improving arsenic uptake and plant growth in arsenic-hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata.