Regulation of gemma formation in the copper moss Scopelophila cataractae by environmental copper concentrations

Effects of copper accumulation on growth and development of Scopelophila cataractae grown in vitro

Scopelophila cataractae was cultured in vitro for 16 weeks to assess the contrasting effects of Cu on growth and reproduction, as well as gametophore stage. To induce buds and gametophores of S. cataractae, ten treatments (tr 1 to tr 10) of culture media were prepared using a combination of mineral salts, sugar, vitamin B complex, CuSO₄, and exogenous hormones. Highest numbers of gametophores and buds were formed in media containing 500 µM CuSO₄ in co-application with auxin and cytokinin, as shown in the modest Cu treatments (tr 6 and tr 7, 26 per cushion and 255 per 25 mm², respectively). A 5000 µM CuSO₄ concentration inhibited development of protonema, possibly due to Cu toxicity, resulting in chloronema forming contorted filaments or short cells containing lipid bodies, and brood body diaspores but no gametophore or bud formation. In this study, S. cataractae Cu accumulation in tissue was substantial (up to 2843.1 mg kg^-1; tr 6) with no or minimal adverse effects, reflecting its potential for phytoremediation of Cu in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The highest atomic percentages of Cu and Zn were detected in the stem surfaces of gametophores treated with 500 µM CuSO₄ (11% atomic Cu and 7% atomic Zn), which served as a primary heavy metal storage site, ultimately protecting cells from metal toxicity. The success of this in vitro study on S. cataractae should also aid ex situ conservation efforts for a variety of rare moss taxa in the wild.

The bryophyte community as bioindicator of heavy metals in a waterfall outflow

The species diversity and heavy metal accumulation in bryophytes were determined in Huay Pah Lahd stream in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Thailand. Eight bryophytes from two major taxonomic groupings (epilithic mosses and liverworts) were investigated. Of these, Fissidens crispulus var. crispulus was the most dominant taxon with an importance value (IV) of 28.98%, while Ectropothecium zollingeri, Claopodium prionophyllum, and Hyophila involuta were also dominant taxa with IV ≥ 10%. Scopelophila cataractae, a rare moss species with the lowest IV (0.91%) had the greatest capacity to accumulate metals in tissue, particularly Fe, Zn, Cd and Cu in protonemata (8026.7, 1187.2, 16.9 and 530.1 mg kg⁻¹, respectively). The highest enrichment factors (EFs) of Zn, Cd and Cu (5.3, 2.4 and 0.9, respectively) were also found in S. cataractae, while the highest EF_Mn (1.1) was found in H. involuta. Enrichment factors of most heavy metals were < 5 from the study bryophytes, which suggests that natural processes were the key source of heavy metals. Dilution effects caused by increased water volume during the rainy season may be responsible for low pollutant loads and the maintenance of good water quality in this waterfall stream, which is favorable for biota and general environmental health.

Area from image analyses accurately estimates dry-weight biomass of juvenile tissue from the moss Ceratodon purpureus

PREMISE

Mosses have long served as models for studying many areas of plant biology. Investigators have used two-dimensional measurements of juvenile growth from photographs as a surrogate for dry-weight biomass. The relationship between area and biomass, however, has not been critically evaluated.

METHODS

Here we grew axenic tissue cultures of 10 Ceratodon purpureus isolates to study the relationship between these parameters. We measured area and biomass on replicate cultures with two distinct starting inoculum sizes each week for three weeks. We then examined the correlation between area and biomass as well as the influence of variation in inoculum size on both parameters.

RESULTS

We found a strong correlation between area and biomass after two weeks of growth. Furthermore, we found inoculum size affected biomass during the first week of growth but not in subsequent weeks and inoculum size had no detectable effect on area.

DISCUSSION

These analyses provide experimental confirmation that area is a suitable proxy for biomass and provide clear guidelines for when inoculum size variation may affect downstream growth estimates.

Protonema of the moss Funaria hygrometrica can function as a lead (Pb) adsorbent

Water contamination by heavy metals from industrial activities is a serious environmental concern. To mitigate heavy metal toxicity and to recover heavy metals for recycling, biomaterials used in phytoremediation and bio-sorbent filtration have recently drawn renewed attention. The filamentous protonemal cells of the moss Funaria hygrometrica can hyperaccumulate lead (Pb) up to 74% of their dry weight when exposed to solutions containing divalent Pb. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed that Pb is localized to the cell walls, endoplasmic reticulum-like membrane structures, and chloroplast thylakoids, suggesting that multiple Pb retention mechanisms are operating in living F. hygrometrica. The main Pb-accumulating compartment was the cell wall, and prepared cell-wall fractions could also adsorb Pb. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis showed that polysaccharides composed of polygalacturonic acid and cellulose probably serve as the most effective Pb-binding components. The adsorption abilities were retained throughout a wide range of pH values, and bound Pb was not desorbed under conditions of high ionic strength. In addition, the moss is highly tolerant to Pb. These results suggest that the moss F. hygrometrica could be a useful tool for the mitigation of Pb-toxicity in wastewater.

Efficient and Heritable Targeted Mutagenesis in Mosses Using the CRISPR/Cas9 System

Targeted genome modification by RNA-guided nucleases derived from the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated nuclease 9 (Cas9) system has seen rapid development in many organisms, including several plant species. In the present study, we succeeded in introducing the CRISPR/Cas9 system into the non-model organism Scopelophila cataractae, a moss that exhibits heavy metal tolerance, and the model organism Physcomitrella patens Utilizing the process by which moss plants regenerate from protoplasts, we conducted targeted mutagenesis by expression of single-chain guide RNA (sgRNA) and Cas9 in protoplasts. Using this method, the acquisition rate of strains exhibiting phenotypic changes associated with the target genes was approximately 45-69%, and strains with phenotypic changes exhibited various insertion and deletion mutations. In addition, we report that our method is capable of multiplex targeted mutagenesis (two independent genes) and also permits the efficient introduction of large deletions (∼3 kbp). These results demonstrate that the CRISPR/Cas9 system can be used to accelerate investigations of bryology and land plant evolution.

Distribution and chemical forms of copper in the root cells of castor seedlings and their tolerance to copper phytotoxicity in hydroponic culture

The subcellular localization and chemical forms of copper in castor (Ricinus communis L.) seedlings grown in hydroponic nutrient solution were identified by chemical extraction, transmission electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The wild castor seeds were harvested from an abandoned copper mine in Tonglu Mountain, Daye City of Hubei Province, China. The results revealed that (1) the seedlings grew naturally in MS liquid medium with 40.00 mg kg(-1) CuSO4, in which the seedling growth rate and biomass index were 0.14 and 1.23, respectively, which were the highest values among all the treatments. The copper content in castor seedlings increased along with elevated CuSO4 concentration in the medium, reaching a maximum value of 16 570.12 mg kg(-1)(DW) when exposed to 60.00 mg L(-1) CuSO4, where 91.31% of the copper was accumulated in roots. (2) The copper existed in various chemical forms in the roots of the castor seedlings. Copper of 67.66% was extracted from the components of cell walls, such as exchangeable acidic polar compounds, cellulose and lignin, protein and pectin, and less concentrated in cell cytoplasm and nuclei. (3) Furthermore, the root cell walls were thickened when the castor seedlings exposed to CuSO4, with a large amount of high-density electron bodies, attached to the thickened cell walls. In the cell walls, most copper was bound to the carboxyl (-COOH) and hydroxyl (-OH) groups of acidic polar compounds, cellulose, hemicellulose, and polysaccharides. The conclusion showed that castor exhibited a strong tolerance to copper, the copper were accumulated mainly in the root cell, the root cell walls of castor were the major location of patience and detoxification in copper stress.

Copper mediates auxin signalling to control cell differentiation in the copper moss Scopelophila cataractae

The copper (Cu) moss Scopelophila cataractae (Mitt.) Broth. is often found in Cu-enriched environments, but it cannot flourish under normal conditions in nature. Excess Cu is toxic to almost all plants, and therefore how this moss species thrives in regions with high Cu concentration remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of Cu on gemma germination and protonemal development in S. cataractae. A high concentration of Cu (up to 800 µM) did not affect gemma germination. In the protonemal stage, a low concentration of Cu promoted protonemal gemma formation, which is the main strategy adopted by S. cataractae to expand its habitat to new locations. Cu-rich conditions promoted auxin accumulation and induced differentiation of chloronema into caulonema cells, whereas it repressed protonemal gemma formation. Under low-Cu conditions, auxin treatment mimicked the effects of high-Cu conditions. Furthermore, Cu-induced caulonema differentiation was severely inhibited in the presence of the auxin antagonist α-(phenylethyl-2-one)-indole-3-acetic acid, or the auxin biosynthesis inhibitor l-kynurenine. These results suggest that S. cataractae flourishes in Cu-rich environments via auxin-regulated cell differentiation. The copper moss might have acquired this mechanism during the evolutionary process to benefit from its advantageous Cu-tolerance ability.

Exogenous EDDS modifies copper-induced various toxic responses in rice

Copper is a micronutrient required for living organisms, but is potentially toxic in excess. EDDS enhances the phytoextraction of many metals, but the underlying mechanism is fully unclear. Exposure of 200 μM Cu2+ for 3 days resulted in rice seedling growth inhibition, accompanied by a decrease in plasma membrane H+-ATPase activity, and an increase in relative electrolyte leakage ratios, indicating that maintaining of membrane structure integrity is crucial in acclimation of plants to heavy metal stress. In addition, the chlorophyll and carotenoid content was markedly decreased and the level of the mRNA of Cytochrome P450 gene, OsHMA9, the sulfate transporter gene, and the metallothionein-like protein gene was observed to increase in response to Cu stress. Cu treatment also induced a global epigenetic response which is associated with cell nucleus condensation. These physiological, genetic, and epigenetic responses of rice seedlings to excess copper were modified by the addition of EDDS, suggesting that the supply of EDDS in medium containing a high concentration of Cu ions could enhance plant tolerance potential to excess Cu toxicity through alleviating Cu-induced poisonous effects at various levels.