The effects of Fe deficiency on low molecular weight organic acid exudation and cadmium uptake by Solanum nigrum L.

Abstract

The influence of Fe-deficiency on the root exudation of low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs), pH alteration and cadmium (Cd) accumulation and translocation were investigated in morel (Solanum nigrum L.) in hydroponic culture experiments. Tartaric, citric, malic and acetic acids were monitored because these acids were abundant and often detected as root exudates. Results showed that Fe-deficient plants excreted large amounts of LMWOAs in comparison with Fe-sufficient plants across all Cd treatments (p <0.05). In both cases the concentrations of the four organic acids were tartaric > citric > malic > acetic. The results showed that the Fe-deficient plants with higher concentrations of LMWOAs accumulated more Cd (p <0.05) and induced a decrease in solution pH compared with the Fe-sufficient plants. Cadmium accumulation in the Fe-deficient and Fe-sufficient plants had significant positive correlations with the exudation of malic and acetic acids (p <0.05 and p<0.01). Cadmium accumulation in the Fe-sufficient plants had a significant (p<0.01) positive correlation with the exudation of tartaric acid, whereas there was a negative correlation (p<0.01) between Cd accumulation and the exudation of tartaric acid in the Fe-deficient plants. No significant correlation between the exudation of citric acid and Cd accumulation was obtained. Our results indicate that Fe-deficiency could induce Cd accumulation and translocation through an increase of LMWOAs exudation and pH alteration, both of which enhance Cd bioavailability.