Heavy Metal Tolerance by Mycorrhizal Fungi and Possibility of Use in Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soils

摘要

Mycorrhizal fungi are ubiquitous, associated with 90% of the terrestrial plant species, and thefr association with plant enhances the growth, especially in marginal lands and Contaminated soils. There are reports of presence of mycorrhizal fungi in the roots of plants growing in heavy metal contaminated soils and their role in metal tolerance and accumulation. There are various mechanisms of heavy metal accumulation and tolerance by mycorrhizal fungi such as immobilization of heavy metals in the fungal biomass, compartmentalization in the cell organelles, adsorption on the hyphal walls and chelation of heavy metals by metal binding proteins. Possible use of mycorrhizal fungi as bioremediation agent is also briefly discussed.