Effects of copper on spore germination, growth and ultrastructure of Polyp odium cambricum L. gametophytes

摘要

The effects of different concentrations (10~(-5), 5×10~(-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 5 ×10~(-5) and 10~(-4) M CuBr_2 induced changes in gametophyte development, possibly by re-orientation of growth. Gametophytes treated with 10~(-5) and 5 ×10~(-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.