N7-0077 — Interim report
1.
Tissue-specific element profiles in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) needles

Distribution of elements in cross sections of Scots pine needles was investigated using micro-proton-induced X-ray emission. Tissue-specific distributions of magnesium (Mg), sulphur (S), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), chlorine (Cl), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), aluminium (Al) and silicon (Si) were resolved in a quantitative manner. Distribution maps and tissue-specific concentrations revealed the largest concentration of Ca in epidermis, of Mg, S and Mn in endodermis, of K in mesophyll and phloem and of Zn in transfusion parenchyma. Phosphorus, Cl, Fe, Al and Si did not exhibit apparent tissue-specific distribution. Inverse allocation of P and Ca was observed, a likely mechanism to prevent their precipitation. Taking the area of tissues into account, relative element distribution calculations indicated that mesophyll contained the majority of the elements studied, except Ca, which predominated in the epidermis (79% of total Ca concentration) and Mn, which predominated in the endodermis (40% of total Mn concentration). When considering a complete element profile of a particular tissue, four clusters were differentiated, which generally supported single element observations. The first cluster differentiated mesophyll, xylem, phloem, transfusion tracheids and Strasburger cells with predominance of K, the second cluster differentiated epidermis on the basis of Ca, the third cluster differentiated endodermis with contributions from Mg, S and Mn, and the fourth cluster differentiated transfusion parenchyma with contribution from Zn. Information on tissue-specific-element allocations will complement structural and functional knowledge of needle tissues and advance our understanding of element/ nutrient transfers in Scots pine.

COBISS.SI-ID: 4804431
2.
Cadmium associates with oxalate in calcium oxalate crystals and competes with calcium for translocation to stems in the cadmium bioindicator Gomphrena claussenii

Cadmium (Cd) was shown to co-localise with calcium (Ca) in oxalate crystals in stems and leaves of Cd tolerant Gomphrena claussenii, but Cd binding remained unresolved. Using synchrotron radiation X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy we demonstrate that in oxalate crystals of hydroponically grown G. claussenii the vast majority of Cd is bound to oxygen ligands in oxalate crystal ()88%; Cd-O-C coordination) and the remaining Cd is bound to sulphur ligands (Cd-S-C coordination). Cadmium binding to oxalate does not depend on the amount of Ca supplied or from which organs the crystals originate (stems and mature leaves). By contrast, roots contain no oxalate crystals and therein Cd is bound predominantly by S ligands. The potential to remove Cd by extraction of Cd-rich oxalate crystals from plant material should be tested in phytextraction or phytomining strategies.

COBISS.SI-ID: 4794703