title: Antimony toxicity in the lichen Xanthoria parietina (L.) Th. Fr.
abstract: In this paper we tested if treating the lichen Xanthoria parietina with Sb-containing solutions causes Sb bioaccumulation as well as physiological and ultrastructural changes. Total and intracellular antimony content in Sb-treated samples increased progressively with increasing concentration in the treatment solutions. Incubation of X. parietina thalli with Sb at concentrations as low as 0.1mM caused a decrease in sample viability, measured as intensity of respiratory activity, and damage to cell membranes, expressed in terms of membrane lipid peroxidation, as well as ultrastructural changes such as plasmolysis, impairment of the thylakoid system of the alga and cytoplasmic lipid droplets. The photosynthetic system hardly responded, at least under the tested experimental conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, via P.A. Mattioli 4, I-53100 Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Paoli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fiorini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Munzi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sorbo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Basile
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Loppi
mesh_terms: D000965:Antimony / Q000633:toxicity*; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000502:physiology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D008011:Lichens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D018570:Risk Assessment
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D000965:Antimony
keywords: Bioaccumulation; Ecophysiology; Membrane lipid peroxidation; Photosynthesis; Ultrastructure