The use of high energy x-ray fluorescence as a trace metal probe offers scientists an innovative tool for research. One application is the study of heavy metal accumulation in plant systems. The test species Thlaspi caerulescens has the ability to accumulate massive amounts of zinc, cadmium, and lead from contaminated soils as a form of bioremediation. In order to understand the efficiency of t...

Members of the Brassicaceae are generally believed to be non-mycorrhizal. Pennycress (Thlaspi) species of this family from diverse locations in Slovenia, Austria, Italy and Germany were examined for their colonisation by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Meadow species (T. praecox, T. caerulescens and T. montanum) were sparsely but distinctly colonised, as indicated by the occurrence of intra...

We examined recruitment, survival, life cycle and fecundity of two metallicolous (M, on metalliferous calamine soils) and two non-metallicolous (NM, on normal soils) populations of Thlaspi caerulescens in Belgium and Luxemburg. In each population, permanent plots were monitored over two reproductive seasons. In M populations, plots were located in two contrasting environments (grass versus grov...

The patch clamp technique was used to study the physiology of ion transport in mesophyll cells from two Thlaspi spp. that differ significantly in their physiology. In comparison with Thlaspi arvense, Thlaspi caerulescens (a heavy metal accumulator) can grow in, tolerate, and accumulate very high levels of certain heavy metals (primarily zinc [Zn] and cadmium) in their leaf cells. The membrane c...

Worldwide more than 400 plant species are now known that hyperaccumulate various trace metals (Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, and Zn), metalloids (As) and nonmetals (Se) in their shoots. Of these, almost one-quarter are Brassicaceae family members, including numerous Thlaspi species that hyperaccumulate Ni up to 3% of there shoot dry weight. We observed that concentrations of glutathione, Cys, and O-acety...

Field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) is a winter annual weed with a cold requirement for stem elongation and flowering. The relative abilities of several native gibberellins (GAs) and GA-precursors to elicit stem growth were compared. Of the eight compounds tested, gibberellin A(1), (GA(1)), GA(9), and GA(20) caused stem growth in noninduced (no cold treatment) plants. No stem growth was obser...