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Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2003; 5(3): 315-323
DOI: 10.1055/s-2003-40801
Original Paper

Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Multiple Effects of Chromate on Spirodela polyrhiza: Electron Microscopy and Biochemical Investigations

K.-J. Appenroth 1 , Á. Keresztes 2 , É. Sárvári 3 , A. Jaglarz 4 , W. Fischer 1
  • 1University of Jena, Institute of General Botany and Plant Physiology, Jena, Germany
  • 2Eötvös Loránd University, Department of Plant Anatomy, Budapest, Hungary
  • 3Eötvös Loránd University, Department of Plant Physiology, Budapest, Hungary
  • 4University of Agriculture, Department of Biochemistry, Krakow, Poland
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
22 July 2003 (online)

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Abstract

Growth rates of S. polyrhiza were reduced by chromate concentrations higher than 50 µM. Analysis of plant cells by transmission electron microscopy revealed the accumulation of starch grains in the chloroplasts following the application of chromate at low concentrations or for short periods (100 µM for 2 days or 500 µM for 1 day). Increasing the chromate concentration (1000 µM for 1 day) or extending the period (100 µM for 4 days) resulted in the disappearance of most of the starch grains and the extensive formation of plastoglobuli. These results were confirmed by chemical analysis of the starch content. It has been suggested that this transient accumulation of starch was caused, first, by inhibition of the export of carbohydrates out of the plastids, and then by inhibition of photosynthesis. Chromate decreased the chlorophyll content and the chlorophyll a/b ratio. The quantitative analysis of the chlorophyll protein complexes showed that the photosystem II (core complex as well as connecting antenna) was more sensitive to chromate treatment than photosystem I and the peripheral light-harvesting complex of photosystem II. This explains the previous results on time-resolved chlorophyll a fluorescence (Appenroth et al. Environ. Pollut. [2001] 115, 49 - 64). Photosynthesis is clearly an important target of chromate toxicity. Electron microscopic analysis showed damage to several membrane systems, such as that of thylakoids, chloroplast envelope, plasmalemma and, at higher concentrations, that of tonoplast and mitochondria. Thus, the membrane system is another target of chromate toxicity.

Key words

Chlorophyll protein complexes - chromate - electron microscopy - growth test - heavy metal toxicity - Spirodela polyrhiza

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K. J. Appenroth

Universität Jena
Pflanzenphysiologie

Dornburger Straße 159

07743 Jena

Germany

Email: klaus.appenroth@uni-jena.de

Section Editor: M. Riederer