title: Water pollution causes ultrastructural and functional damages in Pellia neesiana (Gottsche) Limpr.
abstract: The aim of this work is to evaluate the effects of freshwater pollution in the heavily contaminated Sarno River (Campania, South Italy), using Pellia neesiana (Pelliaceae Metzgeriales) in order to propose this liverwort as a potential bioindicator, able to record the effects of water pollution, particularly the one related to metal (loid) contamination. Samples of P. neesiana in nylon bags were disposed floating for one week on the waters of Sarno River in three sites characterised by an increasing pollution. As control, some specimens were cultured in vitro in Cd- and Pb-added media, at the same pollutants' levels as measured in the most polluted site. P. neesiana cell ultrastructure was modified and severe alterations were observed in chloroplasts from samples exposed in the most polluted site, and Cd- and Pb-cultured samples. Concurrently, a strong increase in the occurrence of Heat shock proteins 70 (HSP70) was detected in gametophytes following the pollution gradient. In conclusion, ultrastructural damages can be directly related to HSP 70 occurrence in liverwort tissues, and proportional to the degree of pollution present in the river; thus our study suggests P. neesiana as an affordable bioindicator of freshwaters pollution.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Napoli "Federico II" - Complesso Universitario Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cinthia 4, I-80126 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Basile
authors.affiliation: Ce.S.M.A, Università di Napoli "Federico II" - Complesso Universitario Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cinthia 4, I-80126 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sorbo
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Napoli "Federico II" - Complesso Universitario Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cinthia 4, I-80126 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lentini
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Napoli "Federico II" - Complesso Universitario Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cinthia 4, I-80126 Napoli, Italy; Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Ambientale, del Territorio, Edile e di Chimica (DICATECh), Politecnico di Bari, Viale del Turismo 8, 74100 Taranto, Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Napoli "Federico II" - Complesso Universitario Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cinthia 4, I-80126 Napoli, Italy. Electronic address: sergio.esposito@unina.it.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Esposito
mesh_terms: D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000187:drug effects*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D035926:Hepatophyta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D045483:Rivers; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Bryophyta; HSP70; Heavy metals stress; River pollution; Sarno River