Direct Evaluation of the Ca2+-Displacement Hypothesis for Al Toxicity

One explanation for Al toxicity in plants suggests that Al displaces Ca2+ from critical sites in the apoplasm. We evaluated the Ca2+-displacement hypothesis directly using near-isogenic lines of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) that differ in Al tolerance at a single locus. We measured both the growth and total accumulation (apoplasmic plus symplasmic) of 45Ca and Al into roots that had been exposed to Al alone or to Al with other cations. Root growth in the Al-sensitive line was found to be severely inhibited by low activities of Al, even though Ca2+ accumulation was relatively unaffected. In solutions containing the same activity of the Al3+ and Ca2+ ions as above, but also including either 3.0 mM Mg2+, 3.0 mM Sr2+, or 30 mM Na+, growth improved, whereas 45Ca2+ accumulation was significantly decreased. Since most of the 45Ca2+ accumulated by roots during short-term treatments will reside in the apoplasm, these results indicate that displacement of Ca2+ from the apoplasm by Al cannot account for the Al-induced inhibition of root growth and, therefore, do not support the Ca2+-displacement hypothesis for Al toxicity. We also show that total accumulation of Al by root apices is greater in the Al-sensitive genotype than the Al-tolerant genotype and suggest that cation amelioration of Al toxicity is caused by the reduction in Al accumulation.