Ligands involved in Pb immobilization and transport in lettuce, radish, tomato and Italian ryegrass

Lead (Pb) and other heavy metals represent a great source of concern in agriculture because they may disperse from polluted sources and accumulate in crop organs. This research study was performed with three edible crops and one pasture species (lettuce: Lactuca sativa L. cv. Romana; radish: Raphanus sativus L. var. radicicola; tomato: Lycopersicon lycopersicum L. Karst.; Italian ryegrass: Lolium multiflorum Lam). It was aimed at (1) assessing how species affect Pb distribution among plant organs, (2) determining the extent to which Pb is localized in edible organs, and (3) ascertaining whether it could be possible to distinguish which compounds are responsible for the transport of Pb from one plant organ to another and which compounds are responsible for the accumulation of this metal inside each plant organ. The experiment was conducted in the greenhouse. Plants were grown in plastic pots using a Pb-spiked sandy soil as substrate. Total Pb concentrations in different plant organs and in soil were determined. Within plants, the maximum accumulation of Pb was found in roots while the remaining part of Pb was mainly located in leaves. Pb LIII edge XANES (X-ray Absorption Near Edge Spectroscopy) was applied to identify the principal Pb carrier molecules in the different plant organs. The data suggest that in roots Pb immobilization is mainly due to the complexing ability of histidine, which binds the metal and, to a lesser extent, to precipitation of Pb as carbonate. The transport to the upper plant organs is mainly attributed to Pb complexes with organic acids. In stems and leaves, Pb bonding is mainly carboxylic and amino acid-like, thus confirming the role of these substances in promoting Pb mobility. Thio amino acidic (glutathione and cysteine-like) Pb complexes, which in this study were only found in stems, can also be held responsible for Pb long-distance transport from roots to shoots.