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A role for nickel in osmotic adjustment in drought-stressed plants of the nickel hyperaccumulator Stackhousia tryonii Bailey

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Abstract

The hypothesis that hyperaccumulation of certain metals in plants may play a role in osmotic adjustment under water stress (drought) was tested in the context of nickel hyperaccumulator Stackhousia tryonii. Field-collected mature plants of S. tryonii, grown in native ultramafic soil, were pruned to soil level and the re-growth exposed to five levels of water stress (20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% field capacity; FC) for 20 weeks. Water stress had significant (P<0.05) influence on growth (biomass), water potential and shoot Ni concentrations, with progressively more impact as water stress was increased from 80 to 40% FC. Shoot Ni concentration increased significantly from 3,400 μg g−1 dry weight (at 100% FC) to 9,400 μg g−1 dry weight (at 20% FC). Assuming that Ni is uniformly distributed through the shoot tissue, the Ni concentration could account for 100% at the 80 and 60% FC conditions, and 50% at the 40 and 20% FC conditions of plant osmotic regulation. The results are consistent with a role of Ni in osmotic adjustment and protection of S. tryonii plants against drought.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Central Queensland University for the University Postgraduate Research Award (to NPB), the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services (Central Region) for granting a scientific permit to collect S. tryonii material from its natural habitat, the Australian Research Council (ARC-Discovery Grant DP0209711 to AJMB) for financial support and A. Doronila (The University of Melbourne) for help in nickel analysis of plant samples.

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Author notes

  1. Naveen P. Bhatia

    Present address: Institute for Nuclear Geophysiology, Australian Nuclear Science & Technology Organisation (ANSTO), PMB 1, Lucas Heights, 2234, Menai, NSW, Australia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Primary Industries Research Centre, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Central Queensland University, 4702, Rockhampton, QLD, Australia

    Naveen P. Bhatia, Kerry B. Walsh & David J. Midmore

  2. School of Botany, The University of Melbourne, 3010, Parkville, VIC, Australia

    Alan J. M. Baker

Authors
  1. Naveen P. Bhatia
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  2. Alan J. M. Baker
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  3. Kerry B. Walsh
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  4. David J. Midmore
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Correspondence to Alan J. M. Baker.

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Bhatia, N.P., Baker, A.J.M., Walsh, K.B. et al. A role for nickel in osmotic adjustment in drought-stressed plants of the nickel hyperaccumulator Stackhousia tryonii Bailey. Planta 223, 134–139 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-005-0133-8

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