To understand the role of ectomycorrhizas in improving the tolerance of its host to excessive heavy metals in soil, this study was conducted to exam the patterns of four fractions (the exchangeable, the carbonate-bound, the Fe-Mn oxide- bound and the organically bound) of both Cu and Cd in the rhizosphere of Chinese pine (Pinus tabulaeformis) seedlings grown in excessive Cu and Cd environment. The results showed that the speciation of Cu and Cd in the rhizosphere was significantly influenced by inoculation of ectomycorrhizal fungus Boletus edulis. Compared to the rhizosphere, the content of exchangeable Cu slightly decreased in the mycorrhizosphere of the seedlings grown in 166 and 400 mg kg-1 Cu contaminated soil, whereas the exchangeable Cd in the mycorrhizosphere decreased remarkably to only 33% and to 60% that of the rhizosphere at 0.75 and 1.50 mg kg-1 Cd levels, respectively. These indicate the potential capacity of mycorrhizas to alleviate the damage of heavy metals to the host plants by reducing the bioavailability of heavy metals in soil. Distribution of the 4 tested fractions of Cu and Cd at different contamination levels showed that there was a strong tendency of changing from loosely associated fractions to strongly associated fractions in the mycorrhizosphere. The most stable Cd fraction, organically bound Cd, was significantly larger in the mycorrhizosphere than in the rhizosphere at different Cd contamination levels. This phenomenon was also observed for Cu but the difference was not statistically significant.
Fungi and their symbionts can alleviate heavy metal stress by exuding soluble proteins and enzymes. This study examined the role of soluble protein and acid phosphatase （APase） exuded by Xerocomus chrysenteron, an ectomycorrhizal fungus, and the seedlings of its symbiont, Chinese pine （Pinus tabulaeformis）, under conditions of excessive Cu and Cd. The growth type showed that this poorly studied ectomycorrhizal fungus was capable of tolerating high concentrations of Cu, and may be useful in phytoremediation. X. chrysenteron grew well at 80 mg/L Cu, and the EC50 for Cd was 17.82 mg/L. X. chrysenteron also showed enhanced exudation of soluble protein in both isolated and inoculated cultivations under the influence of Cu and Cd. Soluble protein exudation, however, differed under Cu and Cd stress in isolates. In mediums containing Cu, soluble protein exudation increased with concentration, but in mediums containing Cd the content of soluble protein increased to a comparable level at all concentrations. This study demonstrated that soluble protein was related to heavy metal tolerance, although the different ions played different roles. While APase activity in exudates of fungi and seedlings decreased under Cu and Cd stress in comparison to the control, the APase activity in seedlings was maintained by inoculation. Thus, X. chrysenteron facilitated the ability of plant to maintain a normal nutrient uptake, and therefore to protect it from heavy metal toxicity.
ZHENG Weishuang, FEI Yingheng, HUANG Yi College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
