1. Relationships of nicotianamine and other amino acids with nickel, zinc and iron in Thlaspi hyperaccumulators.
- Author
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Callahan DL, Kolev SD, O'Hair RAJ, Salt DE, and Baker AJM
- Subjects
- Amines chemistry, Amines metabolism, Amino Acids chemistry, Azetidinecarboxylic Acid chemistry, Azetidinecarboxylic Acid metabolism, Biological Transport, Chromatography, Liquid, Mass Spectrometry, Molecular Structure, Amino Acids metabolism, Azetidinecarboxylic Acid analogs & derivatives, Iron metabolism, Nickel metabolism, Thlaspi metabolism, Zinc metabolism
- Abstract
Experimental evidence suggests that nicotianamine (NA) is involved in the complexation of metal ions in some metal-hyperaccumulating plants. Closely-related nickel (Ni)- and zinc (Zn)-hyperaccumulating species were studied to determine whether a correlation exists between the Ni and Zn concentrations and NA in foliar tissues. A liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) procedure was developed to quantify the NA and amino acid contents using the derivatizing agent 6-aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbamate. A strong correlation emerged between Ni and NA, but not between Zn and NA. Concentrations of NA and L-histidine (His) also increased in response to higher Ni concentrations in the hydroponic solution supplied to a serpentine population of Thlaspi caerulescens. An inversely proportional correlation was found between the iron (Fe) and Ni concentrations in the leaves. Correlations were also found between Zn and asparagine. The results obtained in this study suggest that NA is involved in hyperaccumulation of Ni but not Zn. The inverse proportionality between the Ni and Fe concentrations in the leaf may suggest that Ni and Fe compete for complexation to NA.
- Published
- 2007
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