Insoluble-Phytate Improves Plant Growth and Arsenic Accumulation in As-Hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata: Phytase Activity, Nutrient Uptake, and As-Metabolism

Phytate, the principal P storage in plant seeds, is also an important organic P in soils, but it is unavailable for plant uptake. However, the As-hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata can effectively utilize soluble Na-phytate, while its ability to utilize insoluble Ca/Fe-phytate is unclear. Here, we investigated phytate uptake and the underlying mechanisms based on the phytase activity, nutrient uptake, and expression of genes involved in As metabolisms. P. vittata plants were cultivated hydroponically in 0.2-strength Hoagland nutrient solution containing 50 μM As and 0.2 mM Na/Ca/Fe-phytate, with 0.2 mM soluble-P as the control. As the sole P source, all three phytates supported P. vittata growth, with its biomass being 3.2–4.1 g plant–1 and Ca/Fe-phytate being 19–29% more effective than Na-phytate. Phytate supplied soluble P to P. vittata probably via phytase hydrolysis, which was supported by 0.4–0.7 nmol P min–1 g–1 root fresh weight day–1 phytase activity in its root exudates, with 29–545 μM phytate-P being released into the growth media. Besides, compared to Na-phytate, Ca/Fe-phytate enhanced the As contents by 102–140% to 657–781 mg kg–1 in P. vittata roots and by 43–86% to 1109–1447 mg kg–1 in the fronds, which was accompanied by 21–108% increase in Ca and Fe uptake. The increased plant As is probably attributed to 1.3–2.6 fold upregulation of P transporters PvPht1;3/4 for root As uptake, and 1.8–4.3 fold upregulation of arsenite antiporters PvACR3/3;1/3;3 for As translocation to and As sequestration into the fronds. This is the first report to show that, besides soluble Na-phytate, P. vittata can also effectively utilize insoluble Ca/Fe-phytate as the sole P source, which sheds light onto improving its application in phytoremediation of As-contaminated sites.