title: Effects of copper on spore germination, growth and ultrastructure of Polypodium cambricum L. gametophytes.
abstract: The effects of different concentrations (10(-5), 5x10(-5) and 10(-4)M) of copper bromide on spore germination, growth and ultrastructure were investigated in Polypodium cambricum L. gametophytes. The inhibitory effect of Cu was observed in spores cultured on medium supplemented with 10(-4)M CuBr(2): germination occurred about 40 days after sowing and was only 25%. Concentrations of 5x10(-5) and 10(-4)M CuBr(2) induced changes in gametophyte development, possibly by re-orientation of growth. Gametophytes treated with 10(-5) and 5x10(-5)M CuBr(2) took up and accumulated a large amount of copper and ultrastructural observations showed that cytoplasmic damage was limited to twisted swollen thylakoids. The ultrastructure of gametophytes treated with 10(-4)M CuBr(2) showed absence of a vacuolar compartment. The present observations suggest that P. cambricum gametophytes could be a suitable material for studying physiological and molecular alterations induced by excess copper.
authors: Dipartimento di Biologia Evolutiva, Università di Siena, via A. Moro 4, 53100 Siena, Italy. muccifora@unisi.it
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Muccifora
mesh_terms: D003300:Copper / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D004463:Ecology / Q000379:methods; D018525:Germination / Q000187:drug effects; D032494:Polypodium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D013170:Spores / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D012989:Soil Pollutants; D003300:Copper