Compositions of Xylem Fluid of Arsenic-Stressed Barley Seedlings: A Measurement with PIXE System and HPLC

Compositions of the xylem fluid of arsenic (As)-stressed hydroponic barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Minorimugi) were investigated. The seedlings were treated with 0, 6.7, 33.5, and 67 μM As in the form of arsenite. The xylem fluids were collected from the cut surface of plants 14 days after treatments and analyzed. Arsenic toxicity reduced the flow rate of xylem fluid. Mineral concentrations of the xylem fluid were measured with particle-induced X-ray emission system, but organic solutes were measured with high-performance liquid chromatography. Arsenic did not influence the concentrations of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), and iron (Fe) very much. However, the concentrations of manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) increased resulting in fairly stable translocation of the elements. The concentration and translocation of Ca decreased in the xylem fluid with increasing As concentrations in the medium. Arsenic concentration increased with increasing As in the nutrient solution, but its translocation decreased. Arsenic treatments did not affect phytosiderophore concentration very much, but their translocation decreased. The concentration of citrate increased but that of malate and succinate decreased in 33.5 μM As-treated plants.