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In Vivo and In Vitro Studies on Heavy Metal Tolerance...
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In Vivo and In Vitro Studies on Heavy Metal Tolerance in Plants

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Development and Morphogenesis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 5364

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Aneta Słomka

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Biology, Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, 9 Gronostajowa St., 30-387 Cracow, Poland
Interests: plant microevolution and speciation at polluted sites; ecotoxicology; plant physiology; anatomy; embryology; cytology; tissue culture; phytoremediation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ewa Muszyńska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Botany, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, 159 Nowoursynowska St., 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: cell ultrastructure; plant anatomy and physiology; signaling molecules; abiotic stress mechanisms and adaptation; tissue culture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Much has already been done to improve water, soil and air quality; however, existing emission standards and the lack of reasonable pollution management in transport and industry sectors result in only a slow decrease in global heavy metal (e.g., cobalt, chromium, lead, nickel, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, copper) pollution. Physical and chemical methods that have repeatedly been protested against or restricted have not been very effective in cleaning contaminated ecosystems. Biological methods, including the use of plants, are the most effective in removing metals from the environment. The natural potential of plants, e.g., metallophytes and hyperaccumulators that exhibit evolutionary adaptation to high concentrations of heavy metals in the soil, should be explored. Phytoremediation is an eco-friendly and sustainable mode of toxic heavy metal removal, and utilizes plants to remediate contaminated soil and water. Therefore, demands for fast-growing, metal-tolerant plants with high biomass are not diminishing. Such plants could also find use in a recently developed technology called plant-assisted (phyto-assisted) bioremediation, exploiting the synergistic action between plant root systems and microorganisms and leading to the conversion, removal or retention of heavy metals in sediments or water.

Plant tissue cultures, including cells in suspensions, callus, and organ culture (e.g., hairy roots) serve as model plant systems. Both in vitro cultures and in vivo studies offer a range of experimental advantages which are obviously not without drawbacks and limitations. Although heavy metal distribution as well as transcriptomic and metabolic profiles could vary depending on the specificity of the plant material and growth/culture conditions, conventional in vitro culture experiments are an excellent tool to predict the responses of plants to heavy metals. Well-designed experiments can reduce the cost and time required for subsequent whole-plant procedures in the field.

In this Special Issue, we will engage in a discussion of these topics and try to point out the validity and complementarity of both types of research. We welcome the submission of papers contributing to the knowledge on the mechanisms of heavy metal tolerance (basic science), as well as those on phytoremediation and bioremediation (applied sciences) and any other aspects related to the topic.

Dr. Aneta Słomka
Dr. Ewa Muszyńska
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • metallophytes
  • hyperaccumulators
  • heavy metal tolerance
  • phytoremediation
  • bioremediation
  • in vitro culture
  • in vivo studies

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 4260 KiB  
Article
The Physiological Responses of Tea to pH and Cd Conditions and the Effect of the CsHMA2 on Cd Transport
by Bin Yang, Yao Xiao, Lei Li, Min Shen, Xiaogang Lei, Xujun Zhu and Wanping Fang
Plants 2025, 14(4), 570; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14040570 - 13 Feb 2025
Viewed by 581
Abstract
Soil acidification in tea (Camellia sinensis L.) gardens leads to nutrient depletion, inhibits the growth of tea plants, reduces tea quality, and activates heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) in the soil. To clarify the impact of soil pH under acidified conditions [...] Read more.
Soil acidification in tea (Camellia sinensis L.) gardens leads to nutrient depletion, inhibits the growth of tea plants, reduces tea quality, and activates heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) in the soil. To clarify the impact of soil pH under acidified conditions on tea plant growth physiology and the key genes involved in Cd2+ transport in tea plants, this study planted ‘Longjing 43’ under different pH levels (4.0, 4.5, and 5.5) and Cd concentrations (T1 = 0 mg L−1, T2 = 0.01 mg L−1, T3 = 0.05 mg L−1, and T4 = 0.2 mg L−1). The results showed that the concentration of Cd in tea plants from highest to lowest was root > stem > mature leaves > young leaves. Under T4, with decreasing pH, the total chlorophyll significantly decreased, the Fv/Fm significantly decreased, stomatal aperture reduced, and net photosynthetic rate and transpiration rate significantly decreased. In the T4 treatment at pH = 4.0, the contents of free proline and malondialdehyde were both the highest, while superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase from micrococcus lysodeiktic (CAT) showed a significant negative correlation with pH. By screening the tea genome data, a total of nine CsHMAs involved in metal ion transport were identified. The qRT-PCR results indicated that the expression level of CsHMA2 was the highest in young leaves of tea, and CsHMA2 was localized on the cell membrane. Under T4 and pH = 4.0, transient overexpression of CsHMA2 enhanced the ability of tea to transport Cd2+, whereas transient silencing of CsHMA2 weakened this ability. These findings not only help understand how tea adapts and regulates its physiological processes in acidic environments but also provide an important theoretical basis and technical guidance for soil improvement in tea gardens, the control of heavy metal pollution, and the optimization of tea quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue In Vivo and In Vitro Studies on Heavy Metal Tolerance in Plants)
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15 pages, 1131 KiB  
Article
In Vitro Propagation of Alyssum Species with Different Metal Accumulation Strategies
by Mirosława Górecka, Anna Koszelnik-Leszek, Anna Rusaczonek, Natalia Marek, Oliwia Matz and Ewa Muszyńska
Plants 2024, 13(22), 3122; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13223122 - 6 Nov 2024
Viewed by 799
Abstract
The Alyssum genus, with its many metal-adapted species, is a good candidate for research on phytoremediation and metal tolerance mechanisms. These goals can be supported by elaborating on an in vitro multiplication protocol. Our study aimed to determine the aseptic conditions for the [...] Read more.
The Alyssum genus, with its many metal-adapted species, is a good candidate for research on phytoremediation and metal tolerance mechanisms. These goals can be supported by elaborating on an in vitro multiplication protocol. Our study aimed to determine the aseptic conditions for the growth and effective propagation of Alyssum murale, A. alyssoides, and A. montanum, each exhibiting different adaptation strategies to nickel ions. Firstly, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or sodium nitroprusside (SNP) were investigated in the biological Lepidium test to find their optimal concentrations that could improve the germination attributes of tested Alyssum species. The concentration of 0.5 mM H2O2 or SNP was selected for research on Alyssum seeds, which were the initial material to start in vitro cultivation. Regardless of the species, H2O2 harmed germination percentage; however, its application accelerated radicle emergence, especially in metal-sensitive genotypes, while in both metal-tolerant ones, the germination time of H2O2-treated seeds was similar to that of treated with SNP. These findings provide a novel insight into the effect of H2O2 or SNP on seeds, contributing to a better understanding of their role in the germination of different genotypes. Among tested media compositions, the synchronous plant regeneration of all species was achieved on MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L 2iP and 0.1 mg/L IAA, making an essential advancement in the in vitro protocols for metallophytes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue In Vivo and In Vitro Studies on Heavy Metal Tolerance in Plants)
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16 pages, 1843 KiB  
Article
Responses of the Allium cepa L. to Heavy Metals from Contaminated Soil
by Ocsana Opriș, Ildiko Lung, Katalin Gméling, Adina Stegarescu, Noémi Buczkó, Otilia Culicov and Maria-Loredana Soran
Plants 2024, 13(20), 2913; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13202913 - 17 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1447
Abstract
Heavy metals can accumulate and migrate in soil environments and can negatively affect crops and consumers. Because an increased incidence of chronic diseases can be observed, food security has become a high-priority concern. In the present work, we evaluate the impact of heavy [...] Read more.
Heavy metals can accumulate and migrate in soil environments and can negatively affect crops and consumers. Because an increased incidence of chronic diseases can be observed, food security has become a high-priority concern. In the present work, we evaluate the impact of heavy metals on bioactive compounds and elemental content from onions. Plants were grown in the absence and presence of various concentrations of heavy metal salts (Pb, Mn, Cu, Zn, Ni and Cd). The influence of heavy metal salts on onions was evaluated by analyzing the content of bioactive compounds, antioxidant capacity, and elemental content. The variation of assimilatory pigments, total polyphenols content, and antioxidant capacity increased or decreased depending on the heavy metal added to the soil as well as on the amount added. Regarding the amount of bioactive compounds, it increased between 6.79 and 34.39% or decreased between 4.68 and 62.42%. The content of ten elements in plants was reported, as well as elemental mutual correlation and correlation of element content with biologically active compounds and antioxidant capacity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue In Vivo and In Vitro Studies on Heavy Metal Tolerance in Plants)
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14 pages, 4124 KiB  
Article
Effects of Cadmium, Thallium, and Vanadium on Photosynthetic Parameters of Three Chili Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) Varieties
by María de la Luz Buendía-Valverde, Fernando C. Gómez-Merino, Tarsicio Corona-Torres, Rodrigo Aníbal Mateos-Nava and Libia I. Trejo-Téllez
Plants 2023, 12(20), 3563; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12203563 - 13 Oct 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1638
Abstract
Photosynthesis is a crucial process supporting life on Earth. However, unfavorable environmental conditions including toxic metals may limit the photosynthetic efficiency of plants, and the responses to those challenges may vary among genotypes. In this study, we evaluated photosynthetic parameters of the chili [...] Read more.
Photosynthesis is a crucial process supporting life on Earth. However, unfavorable environmental conditions including toxic metals may limit the photosynthetic efficiency of plants, and the responses to those challenges may vary among genotypes. In this study, we evaluated photosynthetic parameters of the chili pepper varieties Jalapeño, Poblano, and Serrano exposed to Cd (0, 5, 10 µM), Tl (0, 6, 12 nM), and V (0, 0.75, 1.5 µM). Metals were added to the nutrient solution for 60 days. Stomatal conductance (Gs), transpiration rate (Tr), net photosynthetic rate (Pn), intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), instantaneous carboxylation efficiency (Pn/Ci), instantaneous water use efficiency (instWUE), and intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) were recorded. Mean Pn increased with 12 nM Tl in Serrano and with 0.75 µM V in Poblano. Tl and V increased mean Tr in all three cultivars, while Cd reduced it in Jalapeño and Serrano. Gs was reduced in Jalapeño and Poblano with 5 µM Cd, and 0.75 µM V increased it in Serrano. Ci increased in Poblano with 6 nM Tl, while 12 nM Tl reduced it in Serrano. Mean instWUE increased in Poblano with 10 µM Cd and 0.75 µM V, and in Serrano with 12 nM Tl, while 6 nM Tl reduced it in Poblano and Serrano. Mean iWUE increased in Jalapeño and Poblano with 5 µM Cd, in Serrano with 12 nM Tl, and in Jalapeño with 1.5 µM V; it was reduced with 6 nM Tl in Poblano and Serrano. Pn/Ci increased in Serrano with 5 µM Cd, in Jalapeño with 6 nM Tl, and in Poblano with 0.75 µM V. Interestingly, Tl stimulated six and inhibited five of the seven photosynthetic variables measured, while Cd enhanced three and decreased two variables, and V stimulated five variables, with none inhibited, all as compared to the respective controls. We conclude that Cd, Tl, and V may inhibit or stimulate photosynthetic parameters depending on the genotype and the doses applied. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue In Vivo and In Vitro Studies on Heavy Metal Tolerance in Plants)
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