The Plant Family Brassicaceae: Contribution Towards Phytoremediation

359 Pages·2012·3.37 MB·English

by  Naser A. Anjum

The Plant Family Brassicaceae
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
VOLUME 21
Editors
Brain J. Alloway, Department of Soil Science, The University of Reading, U.K.
Jack T. Trevors, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph,
Ontario, Canada
Editorial Board
I. Colbeck, Interdisciplinary Centre for Environment and Society,
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, U.K.
R.L. Crawford, Food Research Center (FRC) 204, University of Idaho, Moscow,
Idaho, U.S.A.
W. Salomons, GKSS Research Center, Geesthacht, Germany
For furthervolumes:
http://www.springer.com/series/5929
Naser A. Anjum Iqbal Ahmad
l
M. Eduarda Pereira Armando C. Duarte
l
Shahid Umar Nafees A. Khan
l
Editors
The Plant Family
Brassicaceae
Contribution Towards Phytoremediation
Editors
NaserA.Anjum IqbalAhmad
CentreforEnvironmentaland CentreforEnvironmentalandMarine
MarineStudies(CESAM)& Studies(CESAM)&Department
DepartmentofChemistry ofChemistryandBiology
UniversityofAveiro UniversityofAveiro
3810-193Aveiro 3810-193Aveiro
Portugal Portugal
M.EduardaPereira ArmandoC.Duarte
CentreforEnvironmentaland CentreforEnvironmentaland
MarineStudies(CESAM)& MarineStudies(CESAM)&
DepartmentofChemistry DepartmentofChemistry
UniversityofAveiro UniversityofAveiro
3810-193Aveiro 3810-193Aveiro
Portugal Portugal
ShahidUmar NafeesA.Khan
DepartmentofBotany DepartmentofBotany
FacultyofScience FacultyofLifeSciences
HamdardUniversity AligarhMuslimUniversity
NewDelhi,110062 Aligarh202002
India UttarPradesh,India
ISSN1566-0745
ISBN978-94-007-3912-3 ISBN978-94-007-3913-0(eBook)
DOI10.1007/978-94-007-3913-0
SpringerDordrechtHeidelbergNewYorkLondon
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2012936075
#SpringerScience+BusinessMediaB.V.2012
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Foreword
Plant Biology is reaching an extraordinary degree of conceptual complexity,
especially since the crucial technological advances during the last two decades,
halfway between the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Integration from the
molecular to the whole plant level of the mechanisms governing growth and
developmentalprocessesprovidesnowabetterandanincreasinglydiversevision
ofthefunctioningofplantsindifferenthabitatsandunderchangingenvironmental
conditions. This is featuring a solid body of scientific knowledge which covers
the various levels of plant research: cellular, biochemical, genetic, molecular,
physiological,ecologicalandevolutionary.Thisplethoraofknowledgeandmeth-
odological consolidation now allows to more precisely understand the physio-
logical and molecular mechanisms, to see the richness of phenotypic responses
of plants to the diverse environmental situations, to deepen consistently in the
evolutionary lines, to discern the molecular basis of variation for including all
within the system’s biology, and to consider the diversity and specificities of
plantfunctionalism.
Spectacularprogressisbeingmadeinthefundamentalknowledgeofreception
of external signals and internal signaling pathways, the vital mechanisms of
regulationofhomeostasis,theintegrationofmetabolicfunctions,andthedifferen-
tiation and development of plants exposed to biotic or abiotic stress factors.
As expected, this advanced insight into basic processes governing plants under
adverse environmental conditions has substantially improved our expertise in
practical applications, not only in the field of agronomy, but also in that of
environmental restoration. Phytoremediation as a clean, sustainable technology is
becominganattractivewaytorecoverdegradedland.Nowonderthatresearchand
publications on this topic have increased exponentially during the last years and
thatwefacearapidlyexpandingareawherebasicknowledgeisbeingturnedinto
effectiveenvironmentaltechnology.
Itisnotaccidentalthatthisnewbookentitled‘ThePlantFamilyBrassicaceae:
ContributionTowardsPhytoremediation’focusestheissueofphytoremediationon
theBrassicaceae.Thislargebotanicalfamilywith360genusand3,700speciesnot
v
vi Foreword
only includes important food and industrial plants, but also Arabidopsis thaliana
theplantmodelspeciesparexcellence.Smallgenomesize,self-compatibility,short
life cycle, small biomass, and large production of seeds make this Arabidopsis
thalianaanidealresearchobjectforstudiesintofunctionalgenomics.Identification
of genes involved in metal uptake, transport and compartmentation and knowl-
edgeofkeyenzymesinmetabolicpathwaysabletotransformanddetoxifyorganic
pollutantsprovidethefundamentaltoolsforthedevelopmentofphytoremediation
technologies. This extensive basic research in Arabidopsis thaliana allowed fast
advancesintheknowledgeofthefunctioningofBrassicaceaespeciesofhighinterest
in phytoremediation processes, such as the close relative Arabidopsis halleri and
Thlaspi caerulescens (Noccaea caerulescens), both species with ability to hyper-
accumulate cadmium and zinc. Also the nickel hyperaccumulators of the genus
Alyssum are within the Brassicaceae. Furthermore, the non-hyperaccumulating
species of the genus Brassica, especially Brassica juncea and Brassica napus, the
seed-oil canola which combines both industrial applications and phytoremediation
potential, are being explored for phytoremediation technologies. These Brassica
species have considerably lower shoot metal concentrations than metal hyperaccu-
mulators.Thisiscompensated,however,bythemuchhigherbiomassinBrassicasp.
Thus, the focus on Brassicaceae in this new book is fully awarded by this
predominant presence of representatives of this family in current research in
phytoremediation. This leads to the question about the characteristics that makes
Brassicaceaespeciessooutstandinglyattractiveforrecoveringcontaminatedland.
Toouropinion,twofeaturescommontoBrassicaceaemaycontributetothis:special
pathwaysofsecondarysulphurmetabolismforglucosinolatesynthesisand,probably
inpartrelatedtothis,thefactthatmostBrassicaceae,arenonmycorrhizal.Ahigh
tissuelevelofantioxidantsisafurthercharacteristicofimportanceforperformance
understressfulconditions.
Brassicaceaehaveahighsulphurrequirement.Sulphuravailabilityinminespoils
usestorangefromnormaltoextremelyhighandmostcontaminatedsoilscanfully
satisfy the higher sulphur demand of the Brassicaceae. Moreover, in Brassicaceae
the levels of sulphur containing metabolites that are important for basic metal
tolerance, such as glutathion and phytochelatins seem to be affected only under
extremesulphurdeficiency.
Many Brassicaceae species are pioneers on waste areas and seem well-
adaptedtorecentlyformed,badlystructuredsubstrates.Noneedformycorrhization
undertheseconditionsimplieshighnutrientefficiency,especiallyforphosphorous.
InBrassicacropsdifferencesinphosphorusacquisitionarecloselyrelatedtoboth
rootarchitecturetraitsandinternalphosphorususeefficiency.Metalhyperaccumu-
latorslikeThlaspicaerulescensseemwelladaptedtothelowphosphorusavailabil-
ity of mine waste areas and surplus phosphorus supply may not enhance their
biomassproductionand/ormetalextractionpotential.
Many species that perform well on mine spoils are mycorrhizal. Considerable
amounts of heavy metals can be retained inthe cellwalls, especially of ecto- and
ericoidmycorrhizalfungi,thuslimitingmetaluptakebytheplants.Metallophytes
thatarenon-mycorrhizal,suchasmostBrassicaceaeandCaryophyllaceaespecies
Foreword vii
(e.g.Silenevulgaris),havetheirownmechanismstoexcludemetalsfromeitheror
both roots and shoots. Nonetheless, on polluted soils they tend to take up higher
amounts of heavy metals than mycorrhizal plants. Thus tolerance to higher tissue
concentrations of metals is a prerequisite for good performance of these species
on metal contaminated sites. The evolution of metal hyperaccumulation behavior
with an especially high number ofrepresentativesinthe Brassicaceae is afurther
argument for meriting special attention. These plants do not efficiently exclude
metalsneitherfromtherootsnortheshoots,butevenforageandaccumulatemetals
from soils with low concentrations. Binding of the metals in non-toxic form and
efficientcompartmentationintocellwallsandvacuolesarefundamentalmechanisms
inthehyperaccumulationlifestyle.
Sothegreatachievement andnoveltyofthisbookeditedbyeminentscientists
Naser A. Anjum, Iqbal Ahmad, M. Eduarda Pereira, Armando C. Duarte, Shahid
UmarandNafeesA.Khanresidesinthefocusonphytoremediationreferredtothe
Brassicaceaefamilycontainingspeciesthatarewelladaptedtoharshconditionson
wastelandandwithefficientmetaluptakeandtolerancemechanisms.Thedifferent
chapters written by experienced specialists provide a unique compilation of the
dispersedliteratureonthistopic.Bysure,thereadersofthebookwillbenefitfrom
thisjointvisionoftheactualandthepotentialcontributionofthisbotanicalfamily
totheemergingdisciplineofphytoremediation.
Therefore, we believe that this book targets a potentially broad spectrum of
audience ranging from the researchers in this field of increasing importance to
undergraduateandgraduatestudentswhowantanoverviewofcurrentknowledge
referredtotheBrassicaceaeanditsutilityinphytoremediation.Nolessimportantis
thistextforallthoseinterestedintheagriculturaluseoftheBrassicaceaeandtheir
contributiontothesustainableproductionofhealthyfood.
CharlottePoschenriederandJuanBarcelo´
Lab.Fisiolog´ıaVegetal,FacultaddeBiociencias
UniversidadAuto´nomadeBarcelona,E-08193Bellaterra
Spain.
e-mail:[email protected](C.P.),
[email protected](J.B.)

Preface
The sustainability of agriculture (the only source of food) and the civilization
ofmankindrelyontwopreciousnaturalresourcesnamelylandandwater.Unfor-
tunately, both land and water have been subjected to maximum exploitation and
severely degraded or polluted by kinds of contaminants originating mainly from
anthropogenic activities. Majority of contaminants get accumulated in plants
and either directly or indirectly, find their way into food web thus cause severe
secondaryconsequences.Abovefactstogethercanproduceseveredeteriorationof
naturalresources,disturbanceofecosystemsthus,creatingenormoushumanhealth
and welfare challenges globally. The remediation of varied environmental con-
taminants using plants (phytoremediation; “phyto” meaning plant, and the Latin
suffix “remedium” meaningtoclean orrestore)have been acceptedadvantageous
over commonly used physical remediation methods in costs, practice and the
scale at which the processes operate. This approach is emerging as an innovative
tool with greater potential for achieving sustainable development and also to
decontaminateair,soils/sedimentsandwater,andforotherenvironmentalrestora-
tionapplications.
The angiosperm family Brassicaceae – commonly termed as the mustard
family (or Cruciferae, because of their characteristic flowers consisting of four
petalsintheformofaGreekcross),isalargedicotplantfamilycomprisingnearly
338 genera (assigned to 10–19 tribes) and 3,700 species with worldwide distribu-
tion, of major agro-economic and scientific importance. The family Brassicaceae
represents hundreds of plant families reported so far for their potential use in
the remediation of varied environmental contaminants including toxic metals-
metalloids.ThemostofthemembersoftheBrassicaceaeplantfamily wellrepre-
sent the metal hyperaccumulation among 0.2% of all angiosperms and thus,
have key role in phytoremediation technology. Many of the plant species within
Brassicaceae family such as Alyssum, Arabidopsis, Berkheya, Bornmuellera,
Cardamine, Cochlearia, Crambe, Peltaria, Pseudosempervivum, Stanleya, Strep-
tanthus,Thlaspi including oilseed Brassicas grow fast, yield high biomass and are
well adapted to a range of environmental conditions. Some species are tolerant
ix