Abstract
The bryophyte Mielichhoferia elongata is known to occur on copper-rich substrate, but the exact resistance level remained to be determined by in vitro experiments. Here, we tested its copper tolerance in graded copper solutions and compared the results to the moss Physcomitrella patens that is not known to inhabit heavy metal sites. Our results confirm the survival of M. elongata in classical resistance experiments of up to 10 mM Cu-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) solution. Interestingly, P. patens is equally resistant. Cultured on copper-enriched agar plates for over 5 weeks, P. patens survived even higher copper levels of up to 100 mM Cu-EDTA and an increment of growth was detected on all concentrations tested. Obviously, P. patens is able to withstand harmfully high levels of copper in both solution and substrate. In this short communication, we give a detailed description of the growth rates and discuss the results in comparison to other moss species and heavy metals.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Ralf Reski and his group, the University of Freiburg, for providing the first culture of Physcomitrella patens. This work was supported by the “Hochschuljubiläumsstiftung der Stadt Wien” grant H-1939/2008 to IL, by a grant of the “Verein zur Förderung der Pflanzenwissenschaften” to SS, and by project 226870/FP7-ENV-2008-1 of the European Union to IKL.
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Sassmann, S., Wernitznig, S., Lichtscheidl, I.K. et al. Comparing copper resistance in two bryophytes: Mielichhoferia elongata Hornsch. versus Physcomitrella patens Hedw.. Protoplasma 246, 119–123 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-010-0106-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-010-0106-z