Date of Award

2008

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Program

Biology

Supervisor

Dr. Sheila Macfie

Second Advisor

Dr. Mark Bernards

Abstract

Pairs of isolines of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum var durum) differ in the amount of cadmium translocated to aboveground tissues; in the field, the high isolines have twice the cadmium in leaves and grain when compared to the low isolines. The hypothesis that differential cadmium translocation is associated with differential production of organic acids was tested by measuring cadmium in tissues, cadmium partitioning within the root, and organic acids in tissues and root exudates. When grown in soil, no differences between high and low isolines were found. When grown in hydroponics, no differences in one pair (W9261-BG) were found. In the other pair (W9260-BC), the low isoline had half the cadmium in its shoot, increased cadmium in the root symplast and increased concentrations of fumaric, malic, oxalic and succinic acids compared to the high isoline. This suggests that reduced translocation to aboveground tissues was associated with increased chelation of cadmium in the root.

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