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Plant Physiol. (1998) 117: 1487-1494
Rate-Limiting Steps in Selenium Assimilation and Volatilization
by Indian Mustard1
Mark P. de Souza2,
Elizabeth A.H. Pilon-Smits2, 3,
C. Mel Lytle,
Seongbin Hwang,
Jenny Tai,
Todd S.U. Honma,
Lucretia Yeh, and
Norman Terry*
Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, 111 Koshland Hall,
University of California, Berkeley, California 94720
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ABSTRACT |
Se can
be accumulated by plants and volatilized to dimethylselenide, providing
an attractive technology for Se phytoremediation. To determine the
rate-limiting steps in Se volatilization from selenate and selenite,
time- and concentration-dependent kinetics of Se accumulation and
volatilization were studied in Indian mustard (Brassica
juncea). Time-dependent kinetic studies showed that selenate
was taken up 2-fold faster than selenite. Selenate was rapidly
translocated to the shoot, away from the root, the site of
volatilization, whereas only approximately 10% of the selenite was
translocated. For both selenate- and selenite-supplied plants, Se
accumulation and volatilization increased linearly with external Se
concentration up to 20 µM; volatilization rates were also
linearly correlated with root Se concentrations.
Se-volatilization rates were 2- to 3-fold higher from plants supplied
with selenite compared with selenate. Se speciation by x-ray absorption
spectroscopy revealed that selenite-supplied plants accumulated organic
Se, most likely selenomethionine, whereas selenate-supplied plants accumulated selenate. Our data suggest that Se volatilization from
selenate is limited by the rate of selenate reduction, as well as by
the availability of Se in roots, as influenced by uptake and
translocation. Se volatilization from selenite may be limited by
selenite uptake and by the conversion of selenomethionine to dimethylselenide.
 |
INTRODUCTION |
Se is a major pollutant that is present in agricultural drainage
water in the Central Valley in California and in effluent from oil
refineries and power plants. Selenate is the main chemical species of
Se in agricultural drainage water (McNeal and Balisteri, 1989 ) and
power plant wastewater, whereas selenite is the major form of Se in oil
refinery effluent (Duda, 1992 ; Hansen et al., 1998 ).
Phytoremediation, i.e. the use of plants to remove or stabilize pollutants, is an inexpensive, efficient, and environment-friendly technology for the remediation of inorganic Se (Terry and Zayed, 1998 ).
Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) is a good candidate for Se
phytoremediation because it produces a large biomass and accumulates high concentrations of Se in its tissues (Wu et al., 1988 , 1996 ; Banuelos and Schrale, 1989 ; Banuelos et al., 1992 , 1995 , 1997 ; Terry et
al., 1992 ). Indian mustard was shown to be a successful remediator of
Se-contaminated agricultural soil in the San Joaquin Valley in
California (Banuelos and Meek, 1990 ; Banuelos et al., 1993 , 1995 ).
Indian mustard was also identified as a good Se-volatilizing plant
species (Terry et al., 1992 ); Se volatilization is the process by which
gaseous forms such as DMSe are produced from other inorganic or organic
forms of Se (Lewis et al., 1966 ; Zieve and Peterson, 1984 ; Velinsky and
Cutter, 1991 ; Duckart et al., 1992 ; Terry et al., 1992 ; Zayed and
Terry, 1994 ). DMSe was reported to be 500 to 700 times less toxic to
rats than ionic forms of Se (McConnell and Portman, 1952 ; Ganther et
al., 1966 ; Wilber, 1980 ). Thus, Se volatilization ensures that toxic
inorganic forms of Se are permanently removed from the contaminated
site (Atkinson et al., 1990 ) and its associated food chain as
relatively nontoxic Se.
To optimize Se accumulation and volatilization by plants, it is
important to understand the factors that control these processes and to
identify the rate-limiting steps. Se accumulation and volatilization are thought to follow the sulfur-assimilation pathway (Anderson, 1993 ;
Lauchli, 1993 ; Zayed and Terry, 1994 ). This view was supported by the
finding that sulfate inhibited Se volatilization from selenate (Zayed
and Terry, 1992 ). Several plant species volatilized SeMet at higher
rates than less-reduced Se forms such as selenite and selenate (Terry
and Zayed, 1998 ; Zayed et al., 1998 ). The root appeared to be the main
site of Se volatilization, since much higher rates of Se volatilization
were measured from roots than from shoots (Terry and Zayed, 1994 ;
Zayed and Terry, 1994 ). However, the kinetics of Se accumulation and
volatilization and their relation to each other have yet to be
elucidated. To obtain insight into the factors that control uptake,
translocation, and volatilization of Se from selenate and selenite, we
analyzed time- and concentration-dependent Se volatilization and
accumulation, as well as chemical Se speciation in Indian
mustard.
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MATERIALS AND METHODS |
Plant Growth Conditions
Seeds of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea, accession no.
173874) were obtained from the North Central Regional Plant
Introduction Station (Ames, IA) and germinated on water-moistened
filter paper. After 2 d each seedling was transferred to a 4-inch
pot containing coarse sand. The pots were maintained in a greenhouse
with a controlled temperature (24°C) and a short-day (9 h)
photoperiod. The plants were watered twice a day, once with tap water
and once with one-half-strength Hoagland solution (Hoagland and Arnon,
1938 ). After 6 weeks of growth the plants were gently washed in water
to remove the sand adhering to the aerated roots and transferred into
plastic boxes containing 3.5 L of hydroponic solution
(one-eighth-strength Hoagland solution). After 1 week, the hydroponic
solution was replaced with fresh nutrient solution, and the plants were
pretreated with Se as indicated below for 7 d (unless stated
otherwise). Subsequently, the plants were placed in Magenta boxes
(7 × 7 × 9 cm, Sigma) with their roots immersed in 200 mL
of deionized water containing Se to measure Se volatilization; details
for each experiment are provided below. At the time of harvest, the
plants were 20 cm tall and their average dry weight was 4 g; the
average root dry weight was 1.2 g.
Experimental Design
To determine the optimum time period for volatile Se collection
from selenate and selenite, plants were pretreated with 20 µM Na2SeO4 or
Na2SeO3 for 7 d, then
placed in deionized water with 20 µM selenate or
selenite, and Se volatilization was measured for 4, 8, 12, 24, 28.5, 36, and 49 h. The alkaline peroxide solution used to trap volatile
Se (see below) was changed after 24 h for this experiment.
To determine the time-dependent kinetics of Se accumulation and
volatilization, different plants were pretreated with 20 µM selenate or selenite for 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or
14 d, after which they were placed in deionized water containing
20 µM selenate or selenite, and Se volatilization was
measured over 24 h.
To study the concentration-dependent kinetics of Se accumulation and
volatilization, the plants were pretreated with 0.02, 0.2, 2, 10, 20, 50, 100, or 200 µM Se in the nutrient solution for 7 d, after which they were transferred into deionized water containing Se
at the same concentration used for pretreatment, and Se volatilization
was measured over 24 h.
To determine the allocation of Se into plant tissues, Indian mustard
plants were supplied for 1 d with 20 µM selenate or
selenite in one-eighth-strength Hoagland solution. Then the plants were washed and the total Se concentration was determined in all plant parts, as described below.
After the Se-volatilization measurements, all plants were thoroughly
washed in running deionized water to remove any Se that was bound to
the outside of the roots. The washed plants were dried at 70°C and
weighed, and the roots and shoots were ground separately using a Wiley
mill (Thomas Scientific). Three replicate plants were used for
each treatment in all experiments.
Se Analysis
Se volatilization was measured by placing the plants with their
roots in Magenta boxes containing deionized water and Se, with the
entire plants in gastight acrylic volatilization chambers (approximately 3 L in volume). A continuous air flow (1.5 L/min) was
passed through the chamber by applying suction at the outlet while the
incoming air was bubbled into the hydroponic solution. Se
volatilization was measured by quantitatively trapping any volatile
gases in alkaline peroxide liquid traps, as described previously (Zayed
and Terry, 1992 ). The Se-volatilization chambers were placed in a plant
growth chamber with a 24-h photoperiod, and maintained at 25°C
and an irradiance of 400 µmol m 2
s 1 photosynthetic photon flux (mainly as
fluorescent light with some incandescent light). The connections
between the chamber and the glass trap were Teflon tubing. Aliquots of
trap solution were kept at 4°C until analysis. The trap-solution
samples were heated at 95°C to remove the peroxide. Then, to reduce
the Se in the trap solution to selenite, an equal volume of
concentrated HCl was added and the solution was heated at 95°C for 30 min. Se concentration was measured by vapor-generation atomic
absorption spectroscopy, as described by Mikkelsen (1987) . The
detection limit of this analytical method was 1.0 µg Se/L. Se dioxide
reference solution (Fisher) was diluted in 6 M HCl and used
as a standard. All samples were diluted in 6 M HCl to give
absorbances in the linear portion of the standard curve. The dried and
ground plant tissues were acid digested as described previously
(Martin, 1975 ), after which vapor generation-atomic absorption
spectroscopy was used to measure Se concentrations in the acid-digested
samples. A wheat flour standard (1.1 mg Se/kg) and a blank were used
with all digestions.
Statistical analyses were performed using the JMP IN statistical
package (SAS Institute, Cary, NC).
Preparation of Indian Mustard Tissues for XAS Analysis
Leaf and root tissues were collected from Indian mustard plants
supplied with 20 µM selenate or selenite for 8 d.
The samples were rinsed in deionized water, frozen in liquid nitrogen,
ground to a fine texture, then stored at 80°C. Comprehensive XAS
analysis of frozen plant tissues was completed at the Stanford
Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory on Beam Line 4-1. The electron energy
was 3.0 GeV with a current of approximately 50 to 100 mA. X-rays were monochromatized with a Si (111) double-crystal spectrometer detuned 50% for harmonic rejection, with a 1-mm entrance slit that produced a
beam of approximately 1-eV band width at the Se K-edge. Frozen tissues
were placed in a sample chamber at a 45° angle to the x-ray beam.
Fluorescent x-ray spectra of Se in plant tissues and model Se reference
compounds, selenate, selenite, and L-SeMet, were collected
with a series of replicate scans. Plant tissue Se concentrations ranged
well within the resolution range of the XAS technique. The energy
positions of all spectra were calibrated against a Se reference foil.
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RESULTS |
In our first experiment we determined the optimum time period for
collection of volatile Se from selenate and selenite. After Indian
mustard plants were preincubated for 7 d on 20 µM
selenate or selenite, we measured the amounts of Se produced over 4 to 49 h from freshly supplied 20 µM Se. The curves for
volatile Se production from selenate and selenite showed similar
patterns over time (Fig. 1). The rates of
Se volatilization from both Se species were linear over the 49-h time
period (r2 = 0.98, P < 0.0001). Therefore,
in all of the following experiments volatile Se was collected over the
first 24 h.

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| Figure 1.
Production of volatile Se over 49 h by Indian
mustard plants supplied with 20 µM Se as selenate ( )
or selenite ( ). The plants were pretreated for 7 d with 20 µM of the appropriate Se species. The values shown are
the mean of three replicates ±SE. DW, Dry
weight.
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To determine the time-dependent kinetics of Se accumulation and
volatilization, Indian mustard plants were preincubated for different time periods (0-14 d) on 20 µM selenate or
selenite, after which time Se volatilization was measured over 24 h and the total Se concentration was measured in root and shoot
tissues. Se accumulation in tissues and the rate of Se volatilization
increased linearly with the length of Se pretreatment for both selenate and selenite (Fig. 2). The rate of Se
volatilization from selenite was significantly (approximately 2-fold)
higher than from selenate (Fig. 2A); the statistical analyses for the
differences between the slopes of the selenate and selenite curves are
shown in Table I. Although selenite was
volatilized faster than selenate, the rate of uptake was significantly
higher for selenate than for selenite (Table I). Consequently, the rate
of Se accumulation in the plant (root plus shoot) was significantly
higher in plants exposed to selenate compared with selenite (Fig. 2, B
and C; Table I). The allocation of Se in the plant differed between
selenate and selenite. The total Se accumulated in roots was not
significantly different in plants supplied with selenate or selenite
(Fig. 2B; Table I); in shoots, however, selenate-supplied plants had a Se content that was significantly (10-fold) higher than
selenite-supplied plants (Fig. 2C; Table I).

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| Figure 2.
Time-dependent kinetics of Se volatilization (A)
and amounts of Se accumulated in roots (B) and shoots (C) of Indian
mustard plants supplied with 20 µM selenate ( ) or
selenite ( ). The values shown are the mean of three replicates
±SE. The average dry weight of plants used in this
experiment was 4 g (the average root dry weight was 1.2 g).
The results of the statistical analyses for the data presented in this
figure may be found in Table I.
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Table I.
Statistical comparison of the Se accumulation and
volatilization curves shown in Figure 2 for Indian mustard supplied
with selenate or selenite
The slopes of the curves are shown with their accompanying P values in
parentheses. Significant differences between the slopes of the curves
for selenate and selenite are presented in column 4.
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In plants supplied with selenate, the Se-volatilization rates were
linearly correlated with the Se concentration in roots and in shoots
(P < 0.01, data not shown). When plants were supplied with
selenite, the Se-volatilization rates were linearly correlated only
with the Se concentration in roots (P < 0.01). The tissue Se
concentrations in roots and shoots were linearly correlated with each
other for all plants (P < 0.01, data not shown).
We subsequently investigated the dependence of Se volatilization and
accumulation on the concentration of selenate or selenite in the
hydroponic medium. Indian mustard plants were preincubated for 7 d
on different concentrations of selenate or selenite (0.02-200 µM), after which Se volatilization was measured
over 24 h and the total Se concentration was measured in root and
shoot tissues. The different concentrations of selenate or selenite did
not have any visible detrimental effects on the plants, except at 200 µM, when symptoms of chlorosis were observed. Se
volatilization showed different concentration-dependent kinetics curves
for selenate and selenite (Fig. 3A). The
rate of Se volatilization from selenite-supplied plants showed a
Michaelis-Menten-type correlation with Se concentrations (r2 = 0.895, P < 0.0001),
increasing linearly with Se concentration up to 20 µM,
and then leveling off at higher external selenite concentrations. The
rate of Se volatilization from selenate-supplied plants, however,
showed a linear concentration dependency (r2 = 0.704, P < 0.0001), and the rate of volatilization did not saturate at the highest selenate concentration tested (200 µM). The change in rate of Se volatilization with
external Se concentration, as judged from the slope of the 0 to 20 µM dose-response curve (Fig. 3A, left figure), was about
3 times higher from selenite than from selenate.

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| Figure 3.
Concentration-dependent kinetics of Se
volatilization (A) and Se concentration in roots (B) and shoots (C) of
Indian mustard supplied with selenate ( ) or selenite ( ). The
values shown are the mean of three replicates ±SE. All
selenate versus selenite comparisons gave P values of less than 0.05. The average dry weight (DW) of the plants treated with 0.02, 0.2, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, or 200 µM selenate were: 2.82, 3.73, 3.19, 5.03, 4.33, 3.67, 3.40, 4.20, and 1.83 g, respectively. For
selenite-treated plants these values were: 2.93, 2.57, 3.11, 2.50, 4.05, 2.21, 2.10, 2.32, and 2.43 g, respectively.
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The root-tissue Se concentration showed a Michaelis-Menten-type
concentration-dependent kinetics curve for selenite-supplied plants
(r2 = 0.84; P < 0.0001), but a linear
correlation for plants supplied with selenate
(r2 = 0.54, P < 0.0001) (Fig. 3B). In
shoot tissue the concentration-response curves were more complex (Fig.
3C). Se accumulation in root tissue was comparable in selenate- and
selenite-supplied plants (Fig. 3B), whereas Se accumulation in shoot
tissue was much higher from selenate than from selenite (Fig. 3C).
In the 0 to 20 µM range, the Se concentrations in roots
and shoots of plants treated with selenate or selenite all increased linearly with external Se concentration (P < 0.005). The slopes of these lines were different for selenate and selenite: In roots the
rate of accumulation was about 2-fold faster for selenite-supplied plants (Fig. 3B, left figure), whereas in shoots, the rate of accumulation was roughly 3-fold faster for selenate-supplied plants (Fig. 3C, left figure). The Se distribution in roots and shoots was
different when plants were supplied with different concentrations of
selenate: At 0 to 20 µM external selenate, most of the Se
was translocated to the shoot, but at 50 to 200 µM, most
of the Se remained in the root. In selenite-supplied plants only
approximately 10% of the Se was translocated to the shoot at all
external selenite concentrations.
In all plants used for the concentration-dependent kinetics experiment,
the rates of Se volatilization were linearly correlated with the Se
concentration in both roots and shoots (P < 0.001). The Se
concentrations in roots and shoots were also correlated with each other
(P < 0.01). The correlations between Se volatilization and root
Se concentration from this experiment and the pretreatment experiment
are presented in Figure 4 and are
discussed below.

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| Figure 4.
Correlation between Se-volatilization rates and
total Se concentrations in roots of plants fed with selenate ( ) or
selenite ( ). A and B, Data from preincubation experiment (Fig. 2); C
and D, data from concentration experiment (Fig. 3). In C, only the
points from the linear part of the curve were used. Both selenate
versus selenite comparisons gave P values of less than 0.05. DW, Dry
weight.
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In another approach to investigate the allocation of Se in plants,
Indian mustard plants were supplied with 20 µM selenate or selenite for 1 d, after which the Se concentration in different plant parts was measured. As shown in Figure
5, selenate was taken up to a much higher
extent than selenite over this 1-d period, and a large part of the
selenate was translocated to the shoot, whereas selenite stayed mainly
in the root.

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| Figure 5.
Schematic representation of an Indian mustard
plant showing the Se concentrations in leaves of different ages and in
stems and roots after 1 d of treatment with 20 µM
selenate or selenite. Values shown are the averages ±SE of
three replicates. DW, Dry weight.
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To investigate which chemical form of Se was accumulated in shoots and
roots of plants exposed to selenate or selenite, XAS was performed on
roots and shoots of Indian mustard plants supplied with 20 µM selenate or selenite for 8 d. Detailed
information regarding the electronic structure of Se, i.e. oxidation
state and local coordination symmetry (Kutzler et al., 1980 ), was
obtained when the XANES of model Se reference spectra were compared
with XANES of Se in leaf and root tissues. In Figure
6A, the K-edge XANES of Se in Indian
mustard leaf and root tissues supplied with selenate were very similar
to each other and to the selenate reference. Thus, we can conclude that
when selenate was supplied in the nutrient solution, Se was also
accumulated in leaf and root tissues as selenate.

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| Figure 6.
A, Se K-edge XANES for leaf and root tissues of
Indian mustard supplied with selenate compared with a selenate standard
reference. B, Se K-edge XANES for Indian mustard leaf and root tissues
supplied with selenite compared with selenite and L-SeMet
standard references.
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When selenite was supplied, the K-edge XANES of Se in Indian mustard
leaf and root tissues were found to be similar to each other but very
different from the selenite reference (Fig. 6B). XANES spectra of Se in
leaf and root tissues were also compared with XANES of Se in the
L-SeMet reference and were found to be quite similar.
Apparently, when selenite was supplied in the nutrient solution, Se was
accumulated in leaf and root tissues as an organo-Se compound such as
L-SeMet.
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DISCUSSION |
The rate of Se volatilization from selenite was higher than that
from selenate in all of the experiments presented here. This finding is
in agreement with other reports (Terry and Zayed, 1994 ; Zayed et al.,
1998 ). To understand the basis for this difference, we focused on the
site of volatilization, the root (Zayed and Terry, 1994 ). Se
volatilization depended on the Se concentration in the root, and on the
conversion rate of inorganic Se to volatile organo-Se forms such as
SeMet. The Se concentration in the root, in turn, was controlled by the
rate of uptake into the root and the rate of translocation to the
shoot. Our results show that uptake of selenate into roots was much
faster than uptake of selenite, since the total amount of Se
accumulated in the plant (root plus shoot) was about 10-fold higher
from selenate than from selenite (Fig. 2, B and C; Table I). In spite
of the faster uptake rate for selenate, the Se accumulation in the root
was not statistically different from that of selenite-supplied plants
after preincubation with Se for 7 d (Table I). This is because
most of the selenate was translocated quickly to the shoot, whereas
selenite-derived Se stayed mainly in the root (Fig. 2). This phenomenon
has also been observed in bean plants treated with selenate or selenite at 50 µM for 3 h (Arvy, 1993 ), as well as in
detopped tomato plants treated for 4 h (Asher et al.,
1967 ).
Se volatilization was linearly correlated with root-tissue Se
concentration, both for selenate and selenite (Fig. 4). This suggests
that the uptake of Se limited volatilization for both Se species.
However, since the root Se concentrations were similar in selenate- and
selenite-supplied plants after a 7-d preincubation with Se, the
different volatilization rates from selenate and selenite cannot be
attributed to differences in root Se concentration, but instead must be
due to different conversion rates of selenate and selenite to volatile
forms. Our speciation studies showed that plants supplied with selenite
contained a more readily volatilizable form of Se than
selenate-supplied plants. When Indian mustard plants were treated with
selenate, the predominant form of Se found in the tissue was still
selenate. In contrast, when the plants were supplied with selenite,
they accumulated a SeMet-like organo-Se species (Fig. 6). Our findings
are consistent with other reports. Gissel-Nielson (1979) reported that
in maize, selenate-derived Se was transported in xylem as selenate,
whereas selenite-derived Se was quickly converted to a Se-amino acid
before transport. Asher et al. (1967) reported that
selenate-derived Se was translocated in the xylem of tomato plants as
selenate, whereas selenite-derived Se was transported as selenate or in
an unidentified, organic form. Our other work with broccoli showed
similar Se-speciation results, and these plants volatilized SeMet
readily at rates that were about 100-fold higher than those from
inorganic Se species (Zayed et al., 1998 ). Similarly, Zhang and Moore
(1997) recently showed that Se volatilization depended more on the
concentration of dissolved, organic Se (e.g. SeMet) than on inorganic
Se. Thus, the higher rates of volatilization that we measured from
selenite (compared with selenate) can be explained by the fact that
selenite was rapidly converted to easily volatilizable organo-Se,
whereas the rate of conversion of selenate to organo-Se was much
slower.
Se accumulation and volatilization were linearly correlated with the
external Se concentration over the whole concentration range tested for
selenate-treated plants, but for selenite-supplied plants they were
only linear up to an external Se concentration of 20 µM
(approximately 300 µg mL 1 Se in root), above
which there was no significant increase (Fig. 3, A and B). Possible
explanations for this plateau are: (a) the saturation of a limiting
step, (b) a feedback mechanism by which selenite uptake is repressed by
the high concentration of Se accumulated inside the plant tissue, or
(c) an inhibitory effect caused by the organo-Se that accumulates in
selenite-treated plants. Organo-Se is more toxic to plants than
selenite, which is more toxic than selenate (Smith and Watkinson,
1984 ).
Since the total amount of Se accumulated per plant was higher in plants
supplied with selenate than with selenite, Indian mustard would be
expected to be more efficient for the phytoextraction of selenate than
selenite. Indian mustard grown in selenate-treated soil accumulated
more Se than when it was grown in selenite-treated soil (Banuelos et
al., 1995 ). Furthermore, Indian mustard has been successfully used as a
phytoremediator of selenate from agricultural soils collected from the
San Joaquin Valley; in three crops, Indian mustard removed 60% of soil
Se (Banuelos and Meek, 1990 ). Field experiments with Indian mustard
showed that in the first year the plants removed 48% of total Se from
selenate-contaminated agricultural soil (Banuelos et al., 1993 ).
If we can pinpoint the rate-limiting factors for Se volatilization from
selenate and selenite, we can improve Se volatilization and thus Se
phytoremediation efficiency, for instance, through genetic engineering
or breeding. Since external and root Se concentrations were correlated
with volatilization, uptake appears to be a limiting factor for Se
volatilization from both selenate and selenite. Selenate is generally
thought to be taken up actively by a sulfate-transporter protein
(Legget and Epstein, 1956; Anderson, 1993 ). Therefore, one approach to
enhance Se volatilization from selenate would be to overexpress sulfate
permease, thereby increasing selenate uptake and volatilization. The
uptake mechanism of selenite is not clear, but has been suggested to be
passive (Bange, 1973 ; Arvy, 1993 ). However, if a selenite-transporter
protein should exist, its overexpression would be expected to increase
selenite uptake and volatilization.
Since selenate accumulated in selenate-supplied plants, whereas
selenite was readily metabolized to organic Se, a major rate-limiting step for Se volatilization from selenate (in addition to uptake) appears to be the reduction of selenate. The enzyme responsible for the
reduction of selenate is ATP sulfurylase (Anderson, 1993 ), which thus
appears to be an important rate-limiting enzyme in the
selenate-volatilization pathway. Therefore, a potential genetic engineering approach to increasing Se volatilization from selenate would be to overexpress the ATP sulfurylase enzyme. The root-shoot translocation of selenate probably also limits Se volatilization. As
yet, it is not known which enzymes and genes are involved in selenate
translocation.
For selenite volatilization, one of the final methylation steps from
SeMet to DMSe may be rate limiting (in addition to uptake), since SeMet
accumulated in selenite-supplied plants. Thus, another possible
approach for improving Se volatilization from selenite would be to
overexpress enzymes responsible for the methylation of SeMet (e.g.
S-adenosylmethionine:methylmethionine
transferase); these genes have not yet been isolated.
In conclusion, we used time- and concentration-dependent kinetics to
show that the two Se species, selenate and selenite, show different
rates of uptake, translocation, assimilation, and volatilization in
Indian mustard. We identified rate-limiting steps in Se accumulation
and volatilization, and a difference in Se speciation in selenate- and
selenite-supplied plants. This information will be useful for improving
the efficiency of Se phytoremediation.
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FOOTNOTES |
1
This work was supported by the Electric Power
Research Institute (grant nos. W08021-30 and W04163 to N.T.) and by the
Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (grant no. 2413).
2
These two authors made equal contributions to
this work.
3
Present address: Department of Biology, Colorado
State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523.
*
Corresponding author; e-mail nterry{at}nature.berkeley.edu; fax
1-510-642-3510.
Received April 14, 1998;
accepted May 20, 1998.
 |
ABBREVIATIONS |
Abbreviations:
DMSe, dimethylselenide.
SeMet, selenomethionine.
XANES, x-ray absorption near-edge spectra.
XAS, x-ray absorption
spectroscopy.
 |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
The authors thank Farrel W. Lytle for assistance and support in
XAS data collection and analysis, Adel Zayed for a critical review of
the manuscript, and the U.S. Department of Energy and the Stanford
Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory for beam time and on-line support.
 |
LITERATURE CITED |
Anderson JW
(1993)
Selenium interactions in sulfur metabolism.
In
LJ De Kok,
eds, Sulfur Nutrition and Assimilation in Higher Plants: Regulatory, Agricultural and Environmental Aspects.
SPB Academic Publishing, The Hague, The Netherlands, pp 49-60
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