Imaging Zn and Ni distributions in leaves of different ages of the hyperaccumulator Noccaea caerulescens by synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence.

Mapping of leaves of hyperaccumulators can provide insights into the mechanisms these species utilize to accumulate high metal concentrations. We used synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence (SXRF) to perform Zn and Ni imaging in leaves of different ages of Noccaea caerulescens. A mature leaf of the related non-hyperaccumulator Thlaspi arvense was also imaged. The concentrations of Zn, Ni, Co, and Cr in N. caerulescens grown on an ultramafic soil were 9-, 10-, 12-, and 3-fold higher than T. arvense. N. caerulescens showed an exceptional ability to accumulate Zn from the soil, posing a bioconcentration factor of 6.7. T. arvense had Zn and Ni distributed uniformly in the leaf blade with doubling fluorescence counts in the tip and margins, suggesting a strategy to excrete metals and avoid toxicity. On the other hand, N. caerulescens displayed distinctly different Zn and Ni accumulation patterns, regardless of the age or metal concentration in the leaves. Zinc was mainly distributed in the cells surrounding the central and secondary veins. Nickel accumulated in the margins and tips of the leaf blade. Given the time required to image large leaves in synchrotron facilities, small leaves can be used to represent the leaf distribution of Zn and Ni in N. caerulescens.

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