[The growth movements of moss protonemata under clinostatic and microgravity conditions].
Populations of dark-grown protonemata of moss Ceratodon purpureus wt-4 (Germany) and wt-U (Ukraine) were rotated on clinostat or flown in space (experiment "Protonema" aboard Bion-11, December 24, 1996-January 7, 1997) to determine the effects of altered gravity on orientation of protonemata growing filaments. Protonemata had been cultivated 8 days in vertical stationary position at dark to be transported to microgravity or placed in clinostat for the period of 14 days. In the ground control, protonemata demonstrated the negatively gravitropic growth (straight upwards in a bundle of compact filaments). The horizontal or circular rotation in clinostat and exposure to microgravity made filaments grow every each way within the substrate plane but with an apparent trend to rightward curling resulting in "spiral galaxies".
Demkiv
O T
OT
Kordium
E L
EL
Tairbekov
M G
MG
Sack
F
F
Kern
F
F
Kardash
A R
AR
D019068:Bryopsida / Q000254:growth & development*; D003624:Darkness; D005858:Germany; D009068:Movement; D018531:Spacecraft; D014455:Ukraine; D014893:Weightlessness