Microsorum pteropus

Abstract: To better monitor and remediate environments contaminated by cadmium (Cd), plants are used as hyperaccumulators or biomonitors; however, few have been identified for aquatic Cd pollution. In our study, two aquatic ornamental plants, Microsorum pteropus (Blume) Copel. and Echinodorus grisebachii Small, were studied for their Cd accumulation capacity, morphological characteristics, and leaf physiological indexes. Microsorum pteropus (Blume) Copel. leaf has the potential to hyperaccumulate Cd (166 mg/kg dry weight for 1 mg/L exposure), with no significant physiological difference under exposure. Echinodorus grisebachii Small had sensitive diagnostic responses to Cd toxicity, such as significant decreases in Chl (a + b) and Chl-a/b, increased peroxidase (POD) activity, greater malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and increased soluble sugar content. These results suggest that Microsorum pteropus (Blume) Copel. could have the potential to be a Cd hyperaccumulator, while Echinodorus grisebachii Small could serve as a biomonitor for Cd-contaminated water bodies.

Abstract: Hyperaccumulators play very important role in phytoremediation of environment polluted by exceed heavy metals, since they could hyperaccumulate heavy metals in their tissues and tolerant high concentrations of heavy metals. The present study reported an aquatic fern— Microsorum pteropus , which might has the potential to be a hyperaccumulator for cadmium (Cd) in water environment. We set two group exposure experiments with different Cd concentrations, low dose groups (0, 0.1, 1, 5, 10, 20 mg/L) and high dose groups (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 mg/L). After seven days Cd-exposure, we found that the order of Cd accumulation concentrations in the tissues was adventitious root>leaf>petiole>rhizome, and that the bioconcentration factors (BCF) could reach as high as 920.21 in adventitious root under 0.1 mg/L Cd-exposure. The remove efficiency of the plant to Cd varied from 39.12% to 53.99% in different Cd-exposure concentrations after seven days culture. At 60 mg/L Cd exposure level, the Cd accumulation concentrations in the adventitious root and leaf tissues were (3738.39±348.03), (10652.53±2477.74) mg/kg, respectively. Meanwhile, chlorophyll concentrations, malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations, peroxidase (POD) activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters showed no significant change between Cd treatments and the control. These results mean that Microsorum pteropus have significant hyperaccumulation capacity and remarkable resistance to Cd, which might suggest that this aquatic fern could service as a hyperaccumulator for the phytoremediation of Cd-polluted water environment.

Abstract: Plant leaves occur in diverse shapes. Divarication patterns that develop during early growths are one of key factors that determine leaf shapes. We utilized leaves of Microsorum pteropus, a semi-aquatic fern, and closely related varieties to analyze a variation in the divarication patterns. The leaves exhibited three major types of divarication: no lobes, bifurcation, and trifurcation (i.e., monopodial branching). Our investigation of their developmental processes, using time-lapse imaging, revealed localized growths and dissections of blades near each leaf apex. Restricted cell divisions responsible for the apical growths were confirmed using a pulse-chase strategy for EdU labeling assays.