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Effects of cadmium metal on young gametophytes of Gelidium floridanum: metabolic and morphological changes

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Abstract

By evaluating carotenoid content, photosynthetic pigments and changes in cellular morphology, growth rates, and photosynthetic performance, this study aimed to determine the effect of cadmium (Cd) on the development of young gametophytes of Gelidium floridanum. Plants were exposed to 7.5 and 15 μM of Cd for 7 days. Control plants showed increased formation of new filamentous thallus, increased growth rates, presence of starch grains in the cortical and subcortical cells, protein content distributed regularly throughout the cell periphery, and intense autofluorescence of chloroplasts. On the other hand, plants treated with Cd at concentrations of 7.5 and 15 μM showed few formations of new thallus with totally depigmented regions, resulting in decreased growth rates. Plants exposed to 7.5 μM Cd demonstrated alterations in the cell wall and an increase in starch grains in the cortical and subcortical cells, while plants exposed to 15 μM Cd showed changes in medullary cells with no organized distribution of protein content. The autofluorescence and structure of chloroplasts decreased, forming a thin layer on the periphery of cells. Cadmium also affected plant metabolism, as visualized by a decrease in photosynthetic pigments, in particular, phycoerythrin and phycocyanin contents, and an increase in carotenoids. This result agrees with decreased photosynthetic performance and chronic photoinhibition observed after treatment with Cd, as measured by the decrease in electron transport rate. Based on these results, it was concluded that exposure to Cd affects cell metabolism and results in significant toxicity to young gametophytes of G. floridanum.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the staff of the Central Laboratory of Electron Microscopy (LCME), Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil, for the use of their transmission electron microscope. This study was supported in part by the Coordenacão de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES, Brazil) and Fundacão de Apoio à Pesquisa Cientifica e Tecnológica do Estado de Santa Catarina (FAPESC). The authors are grateful to CAPES for providing a scholarship to Carmen Simioni. This study is part of the Ph.D. thesis of the first author.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plant Cell Biology Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology, Embryology and Genetics, Federal University of Santa Catarina, 88049-900, CP 476, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil

    Carmen Simioni, Ticiane Rover, Rodrigo dos Santos, Elisa P. Filipin & Giulia Burle Costa

  2. Postdoctoral Research of Post-Graduate Program in Cell Biology and Development, Department of Cell Biology, Embryology and Genetics, Federal University of Santa Catarina, 88049-900, CP 476, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil

    Éder C. Schmidt

  3. Scientific Initiation-PIBIC-CNPq, Department of Cell Biology, Embryology and Genetics, Federal University of Santa Catarina, 88049-900, CP 476, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil

    Debora T. Pereira

  4. Institute of Bioscience, Department of Botany, University of São Paulo, 05508-090, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Fungyi Chow

  5. Plant Morphogenesis and Biochemistry Laboratory, Federal University of Santa Catarina, 88049-900, CP 476, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil

    Eva Regina Oliveira, Fernanda Ramlov & Marcelo Maraschin

  6. Central Laboratory of Electron Microscopy, Federal University of Santa Catarina, 88049-900, CP 476, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil

    Luciane Ouriques & Zenilda L. Bouzon

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  1. Carmen Simioni
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  2. Éder C. Schmidt
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  3. Ticiane Rover
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  4. Rodrigo dos Santos
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  5. Elisa P. Filipin
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  6. Debora T. Pereira
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  7. Giulia Burle Costa
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  8. Eva Regina Oliveira
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  10. Fernanda Ramlov
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  13. Zenilda L. Bouzon
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Correspondence to Carmen Simioni.

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Simioni, C., Schmidt, É.C., Rover, T. et al. Effects of cadmium metal on young gametophytes of Gelidium floridanum: metabolic and morphological changes. Protoplasma 252, 1347–1359 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-015-0768-7

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