Cadmium uptake in barley affected by iron concentration of the medium: Role of phytosiderophores

Abstract Several experiments were conducted using barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Minorimugi) grown hydroponically in a medium containing cadmium (Cd) to clarify the role of phytosiderophores (PS) in chelator-assisted phytoextraction of Cd and the influence of iron (Fe) on Cd uptake. In the first experiment, plants were grown for 7 days in media containing 5 µmol L−1 Cd sulfate (CdSO4), in which the concentration of Fe was 0 or 10 µmol L−1. A marked increase in Cd uptake was obtained in plants grown under the Fe-deficient condition compared with those grown under the Fe-sufficient (10 µmol L−1) condition. In the second experiment, plants were grown for 7 days in media containing 5 µmol L−1 CdSO4, in which the concentration of Fe was 10 or 100 µmol L−1. As a result, the uptake of Cd in plants grown with excess Fe (100 µmol L−1) was significantly lower than the uptake in plants grown under a normal concentration (10 µmol L−1) of Fe. These results indicated that Cd uptake was affected by Fe concentration in t...