Abstract

Heavy metals (HMs), such as copper, zinc, lead, mercury and cadmium, are the most abundant and dangerous inorganic environmental pollutants. Growing pieces of evidence suggest that mycorrhizal fungi can alleviate metal toxicity in plants. In this study, we focused attention on the ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungus Tuber borchii Vitt., which is widespread in Italy and is of great ecological interest because of the mutualistic associations and the advantages it provides to host plants. Seedlings of the Mediterranean shrub Cistus creticus L., mycorrhized and non mycorrhized with the ECM fungus 7: borchii, were treated with HMs (zinc, lead and chromium). HMs induced leaves' chlorosis in non mycorrhized seedlings; while no significant differencewas observed impigmentation of mycorrhized seedlings' leaves. This observation was confirmed by Euclidean Distance of color measurements in L*a*b* units from RGB digital images of leaves. The decrease in leaves pigmentation observed in HM treated non mycorrhized seedlings strongly correlated with a reduced expression of key genes associated with chlorophyll biosynthesis; instead, no significant variation of gene expression was detected in mycorrhized seedlings treated with HMs.

Autore Pugliese

• Miceli Antonio , Aprile Alessio , Lenucci Marcello Salvatore , Nutricati Eliana , Rampino Patrizia , De Bellis Luigi

Tutti gli autori

• Sabella E. , Nutricati E. , Aprile A. , Miceli A. , Negro C. , Rampino P. , Lenucci M.S. , DE BELLIS L.

Titolo volume/Rivista

ENVIRONMENTAL AND EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY

Anno di pubblicazione

2016

ISSN

0098-8472

ISBN

Non Disponibile

Numero di citazioni Wos

Nessuna citazione

Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

Non Disponibile

Numero di citazioni Scopus

Non Disponibile

0

Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

28/04/2018

Settori ERC

Non Disponibile

Codici ASJC

Non Disponibile