Merging methods in molecular and ecological genetics to study the adaptation of plants to anthropogenic metal-polluted sites: implications for phytoremediation

  1. MAXIME PAUWELS†,
  2. GLENDA WILLEMS,
  3. NANCY ROOSENS,
  4. HÉLÈNE FRÉROT,
  5. PIERRE SAUMITOU-LAPRADE

Article first published online: 4 SEP 2007

DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2007.03486.x

Issue

Molecular Ecology

Molecular Ecology

Volume 17, Issue 1, pages 108–119, January 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

PAUWELS, M., WILLEMS, G., ROOSENS, N., FRÉROT, H. and SAUMITOU-LAPRADE, P. (2008), Merging methods in molecular and ecological genetics to study the adaptation of plants to anthropogenic metal-polluted sites: implications for phytoremediation. Molecular Ecology, 17: 108–119. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2007.03486.x

Author Information

  1. Laboratoire de Génétique et Evolution des Populations Végétales, UMR CNRS 8016, Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, Bâtiment SN2, F-59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq Cedex, France

  1. †

    Present address: Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l’Insecte, UMR CNRS 6035, Faculté des Sciences, Bâtiment I, 31 Avenue Monge, 37200 Tours, France

* Pierre Saumitou-Laprade, Fax: +33 320436979; E-mail: pierre.saumitou@univ-lille1.fr

  • Box 1  Definition of heavy-metal tolerance: a complex plant–environment interactionHeavy-metal tolerance is the capacity of a plant to survive and reproduce in a highly metal-polluted soil, toxic for most other plants (‡; Macnair 1987).Physiological aspectsHow do metal-tolerant plants respond to high metal concentrations?inline imageAccumulation and exclusion are the two main ways in which plants respond to increasing soil-metal levels, reflected by the metal concentrations in aerial plant parts. Excluders loose the control of metal translocation to aerial parts beyond a threshold of soil metal level. Hyperaccumulators are particular accumulators that show elevated metal concentrations in aerial parts mainly as a result of an enhanced root-to-shoot translocation (§; ).Research focus: What are the physiological pathways responsible for heavy-metal tolerance? Are they different between excluders, indicators and (hyper) accumulators?Ecological AspectsIs metal tolerance specific of plants from polluted soils?inline image‘Non-tolerant,’ or ‘metal-tolerant’ refers to the plant genotype while ‘non-metalliferous’ or ‘metalliferous’ refers to the soil type. Non-metallicolous populations (NM) develop on non-metalliferous soils and metallicolous populations (M) develop on metalliferous soils. Non metallophytes (A category) never occur on metalliferous soils (no M populations). Pseudometallophyte (B and C categories) have metallicolous and non-metallicolous populations in various relative proportions (NM > M or NM < M). Eumetallophytes (D category) always occur on metalliferous soils (metalloendemics, no NM population).Research focus: What is the origin of the genetic variability of heavy-metal tolerance? How do metal tolerant genotypes maintain in non-metalliferous soils?

  • †

    Present address: Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l’Insecte, UMR CNRS 6035, Faculté des Sciences, Bâtiment I, 31 Avenue Monge, 37200 Tours, France

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 4 SEP 2007
  2. Article first published online: 4 SEP 2007
  3. Received 8 February 2007; revision accepted 4 July 2007

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