Metal Interactions in the Ni Hyperaccumulating Population of Monte Prinzera.

Hyperaccumulation is a fascinating trait displayed by a few plant species able to accumulate large amounts of metal ions in above-ground tissues without symptoms of toxicity. is a recognized model system to study metal hyperaccumulation and hypertolerance. A population naturally growing on a serpentine soil in the Italian Apennine Mountains, Monte Prinzera, was chosen for the study here reported. Plants were grown hydroponically and treated with different metals, in excess or limiting concentrations. Accumulated metals were quantified in shoots and roots by means of ICP-MS. By real-time PCR analysis, the expression of metal transporters and Fe deficiency-regulated genes was compared in the shoots and roots of treated plants. Monte Prinzera confirmed its ability to hypertolerate and hyperaccumulate Ni but not Zn. Moreover, excess Ni does not induce Fe deficiency as in Ni-sensitive species and instead competes with Fe translocation rather than its uptake.