What is a hyperaccumulator?
Q: What is a hyperaccumulator?
A: A hyperaccumulator is a plant that can grow in soils with very high concentrations of metals.
Q: What is an example of a hyperaccumulator?
A: Pycnandra acuminata, which grows on soil rich in nickel, is an example of a hyperaccumulator featured by the BBC.
Q: How do plants benefit from metal hyperaccumulation?
A: The advantage of metal hyperaccumulation may be that the toxic levels of heavy metals in leaves deter herbivores and provide defence against herbivory.
Q: What gene family is involved in metal hyperaccumulation?
A: The ZIP gene family is usually involved in metal hyperaccumulation. These genes code for membrane receptors for the transport of, for example, zinc molecules.
Q: How many species have been found to contain HA genes?
A: Over 450 plant species have been found to contain HA genes.
Q: What metals are able to be sequestered by expression of HA genes?
A: Metals such as As, Co, Fe, Cu, Cd, Pb, Hg, Se, Mn, Zn , Mo and Ni can be sequestered by expression of HA genes at 100-1000 times the concentration found in sister species or populations.
