Non-targeted metabolomics reveal the impact of phenanthrene stress on root exudates of ten urban greening tree species

Jiaolong Wang; Taimoor Hassan Farooq; Ali Aslam; Awais Shakoor; Xiaoyong Chen; Wende Yan

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2020.110370

Non-targeted metabolomics reveal the impact of phenanthrene stress on root exudates of ten urban greening tree species

Environ Res. 2021 May:196:110370. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110370. Epub 2020 Oct 22.

Authors

Jiaolong Wang¹, Taimoor Hassan Farooq², Ali Aslam³, Awais Shakoor⁴, Xiaoyong Chen⁵, Wende Yan⁶

Affiliations

¹ College of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, Hunan Province, PR China.
² College of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, Hunan Province, PR China; National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Technology of Forestry and Ecology in South China, Changsha, 410004, Hunan Province, PR China.
³ Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
⁴ Department of Environment and Soil Sciences, University of Lleida, Avinguda Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, 25198, Lleida, Spain.
⁵ College of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, Hunan Province, PR China; College of Arts and Sciences, Governors State University, University Park, IL, 60484, USA. Electronic address: XChen@govst.edu.
⁶ College of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, Hunan Province, PR China; National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Technology of Forestry and Ecology in South China, Changsha, 410004, Hunan Province, PR China. Electronic address: csfuywd@hotmail.com.

PMID: 33164811
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110370

Abstract

Different root exudations can modify the bioavailability of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Among these exudations, the low molecular weight organic acids play an imperative role in this process. The study was conducted to analyze the effect of phenanthrene (PHE) stress on root exudation variations and changes in its chemical composition in ten urban greening tree species, namely Loropetalum chinense, Gardenia ellis, Photinia fraseri, Ligustrum japonicum, Rhododendron simsii, Osmanthus fragrans, Gardenia jasminoides, Buxus sinica, Camellia sasanqua, and Euonymus japonicas. The experiment was carried out in three PHE concentration treatments (0 mg kg^-1 (CK), 200 mg kg^-1 (PHE_L), 2000 mg kg^-1 (PHE_H)). The root exudates were collected and analyzed by GC-MS method. In total, 673 compounds were identified either with high or low abundance among all species and treatments. Compounds identified in CK, PHE_L, and PHE_H were 240, 180, and 256, respectively. The results illustrated that carbohydrates, phenols, and esters were the dominant compounds, accounted for more than 92%. Principal component analysis depicted that tree species grown in PHE_H showed obvious alteration in compounds of root exudation, whereas little difference was noticed between PHE_L and CK. Phenols (80%) were the most abundant, while nitriles contributed a small portion. Moreover, among all species, R. simsii released the maximum number of compounds, and L. japonicum released the least number of compounds accounting for 89 and 46, respectively. The results achieved here to illustrate that plant type, and PHE stress can significantly change the concentrations and species of root exudates. This study provides the scientific reference for understanding the phenanthrene responsive changes in root exudates and phytoremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as well as a screening of urban greening tree species.

Keywords: Phytoremediation; Pollutants; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Rhizosphere; Root exudation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Biodegradation, Environmental
Exudates and Transudates
Metabolomics
Phenanthrenes*
Plant Roots
Soil Pollutants*
Trees

Substances

Phenanthrenes
Soil Pollutants