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Influences of cadmium on fine structure and metabolism of Hypnea musciformis (Rhodophyta, Gigartinales) cultivated in vitro

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Abstract

The in vitro effect of cadmium on apical segments of Hypnea musciformis was examined. Over a period of 7 days, the segments were cultivated with different concentrations of cadmium, ranging from 50 to 300 μM. The samples were processed for microscopic and histochemical analysis of growth rates, content of photosynthetic pigments, and photosynthetic performance. Cadmium treatments increased cell wall thickness and the accumulation of plastoglobuli. Destruction of chloroplast internal organization was observed. Compared to controls, algae exposed to cadmium showed growth rate reduction, depigmentation, and blending in the lateral branches. The content of photosynthetic pigments, including chlorophyll a and phycobiliproteins, decreased after exposure to different concentrations of cadmium. These results agree with the decreased photosynthetic performance and relative electron transport rate observed after exposure of algae to cadmium. Taken together, these findings strongly indicate that cadmium negatively affects the architecture and metabolism of the carragenophyte H. musciformis, thus posing a threat to the economic vitality of this red macroalgae.

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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 scanning and transmission electron microscope. This study was supported in part by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CAPES, Brazil), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq, Brazil), and Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa Cientifica e Tecnológica do Estado de Santa Catarina (FAPESC).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

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

    Zenilda L. Bouzon

  2. Laboratório de Marcadores Histológicos, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Santa Catarina—Campus Lages, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil

    Eduardo C. Ferreira

  3. 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

    Rodrigo dos Santos & Éder C. Schmidt

  4. Department of Botany, Federal University of Santa Catarina, 88010-970, CP 476, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil

    Fernando Scherner & Paulo A. Horta

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

    Marcelo Maraschin

Authors
  1. Zenilda L. Bouzon
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  2. Eduardo C. Ferreira
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  3. Rodrigo dos Santos
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  4. Fernando Scherner
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  5. Paulo A. Horta
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  6. Marcelo Maraschin
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  7. Éder C. Schmidt
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Éder C. Schmidt.

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Handling Editor: Tsuneyoshi Kuroiwa

Zenilda L. Bouzon and Eder C. Schmidt should be considered as first authors.

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Bouzon, Z.L., Ferreira, E.C., dos Santos, R. et al. Influences of cadmium on fine structure and metabolism of Hypnea musciformis (Rhodophyta, Gigartinales) cultivated in vitro. Protoplasma 249, 637–650 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-011-0301-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-011-0301-6

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