Zinc Accumulation and Tolerance in Solanum nigrum are Plant Growth Dependent

Zinc tolerance, accumulation, and organic acid production by Solanum nigrum, a known Zn accumulator, was studied during pre- and post-flowering stages of development. The plants, when challenged with Zn concentrations lethal to plantlets, showed an increase in tolerance from pre-flowering to post-flowering, which was accompanied by a reduction of Zn translocation to the aerial plant parts. Treatment with Zn induced a differential response in organic acids according to the plant organ and developmental stage. In the roots, where Zn concentrations were similar in pre- and post-flowering plants, a general decrease in organic acid in pre-flowering roots contrasted with the increase observed in post-flowering plants. In the stems, Zn induced a generalized increase in organic acids at both growth stages while in the leaves, a slight increase in malic and shikimic was observed in pre-flowering plants and only shikimic acid levels were significantly increased in post-flowering plants. This work shows that Zn accumulation and tolerance in S. nigrum vary during plant development – an observation that may be important to improve the efficiency of phytoremediation approaches. Furthermore, the data suggest the involvement of specific organic acids in this response.