Abstract
Structural and ultrastructural changes caused by bioaccumulation of As and Cr in brake fern (Pteris vittata), a known arsenic hyperaccumulator, were investigated. Potted plants of brake fern were exposed to metal treatments of As and Cr for three weeks. Leaf, stem and root samples were collected periodically and fixed for LM (Light Microscopy), SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) and TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) to evaluate anatomical changes. The fresh weights, dry weights, RWC (Relative Water Content) and plant heights were obtained before the brake fern plants were harvested for metal accumulation analysis. The As accumulated mainly in the shoots while Cr accumulated mainly in the roots of the metal-treated plants. Significant changes in the ferns physical characters, including fresh weight, dry weight, RWC, and plant height were observed for only Cr-treated plants but not for As-treated plants. Microscopic studies reveal the Cr accumulation resulted in dehydration and collapse of internal structure of leaves and cellular breakdown of roots. The As-treated plants showed no significant structural changes in leaves, stems and roots compared to control plants. Clotted depositions were observed in roots and stems of plant groups treated with highest concentration of Cr and As when compared to control (T0) group. Our study indicates that Cr has a profound impact on physiology and structure of fern plants. The accumulation of Cr resulted in decrease in growth rate, total biomass and RWC. We believe that brake fern plants can uptake, translocate and sequester As because it caused no significant structural changes in leaves, stems and roots of the plants.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Arsenic accumulated mainly in shoots.
- Taxon
- Pteris vittata
Pteris vittatat0 - Organ / stage
- shootse0
- Outcome
- As accumulated mainly in the shootse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The As accumulated mainly in the shoots”
t0“Brake Fern (Pteris vittata)”
Claim · model-written summary
Chromium accumulated mainly in roots.
- Taxon
- Pteris vittataPteris vittatat0
- Organ / stage
- rootse0
- Outcome
- Cr accumulated mainly in the rootse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Cr accumulated mainly in the roots”
t0“Brake Fern (Pteris vittata)”
Claim · model-written summary
Chromium treatment significantly changed fresh weight, dry weight, relative water content, and plant height.
- Taxon
- Pteris vittataPteris vittatat0
- Treatment
- Cr-treatede0
- Outcome
- fresh weight, dry weight, RWC, and plant heighte0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Significant changes in the ferns physical characters, including fresh weight, dry weight, RWC, and plant height were observed for only Cr-treated plants”
t0“Brake Fern (Pteris vittata)”
Claim · model-written summary
Arsenic treatment did not significantly change the measured physical characters.
- Taxon
- Pteris vittataPteris vittatat0
- Treatment
- As-treatede0
- Outcome
- physical characterse0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Significant changes in the ferns physical characters, including fresh weight, dry weight, RWC, and plant height were observed for only Cr-treated plants but not for As-treated plants”
t0“Brake Fern (Pteris vittata)”
Claim · model-written summary
Chromium accumulation caused dehydration of leaves.
- Taxon
- Pteris vittataPteris vittatat0
- Organ / stage
- leavese0
- Treatment
- Cr accumulatione0
- Outcome
- dehydratione0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the Cr accumulation resulted in dehydration and collapse of internal structure of leaves”
t0“Brake Fern (Pteris vittata)”
Claim · model-written summary
Chromium accumulation caused collapse of internal leaf structure.
- Taxon
- Pteris vittataPteris vittatat0
- Treatment
- Cr accumulatione0
- Outcome
- collapse of internal structure of leavese0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the Cr accumulation resulted in dehydration and collapse of internal structure of leaves”
t0“Brake Fern (Pteris vittata)”
Claim · model-written summary
Chromium accumulation caused cellular breakdown of roots.
- Taxon
- Pteris vittataPteris vittatat0
- Treatment
- Cr accumulatione0
- Outcome
- cellular breakdown of rootse0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the Cr accumulation resulted in dehydration and collapse of internal structure of leaves and cellular breakdown of roots”
t0“Brake Fern (Pteris vittata)”
Claim · model-written summary
Arsenic-treated ferns showed no significant structural changes in leaves, stems, and roots relative to controls.
- Taxon
- Pteris vittataPteris vittatat0
- Treatment
- As-treatede0
- Outcome
- structural changes in leaves, stems and rootse0
- Direction
- no significante0
- Comparator
- control plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The As-treated plants showed no significant structural changes in leaves, stems and roots compared to control plants”
t0“Brake Fern (Pteris vittata)”
Claim · model-written summary
Clotted deposits occurred in roots and stems at the highest chromium concentration compared with controls.
- Taxon
- Pteris vittataPteris vittatat0
- Organ / stage
- roots and stemse0
- Treatment
- highest concentration of Cre0
- Outcome
- Clotted depositionse0
- Comparator
- control (T0) groupe0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Clotted depositions were observed in roots and stems of plant groups treated with highest concentration of Cr and As when compared to control (T0) group”
t0“Brake Fern (Pteris vittata)”
Claim · model-written summary
Clotted deposits occurred in roots and stems at the highest arsenic concentration compared with controls.
- Taxon
- Pteris vittataPteris vittatat0
- Organ / stage
- roots and stemse0
- Treatment
- Ase0
- Outcome
- Clotted depositionse0
- Qualifier
- highest concentratione0
- Comparator
- control (T0) groupe0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Clotted depositions were observed in roots and stems of plant groups treated with highest concentration of Cr and As when compared to control (T0) group”
t0“Brake Fern (Pteris vittata)”
Claim · model-written summary
Chromium accumulation decreased fern growth rate, total biomass, and relative water content.
- Taxon
- Pteris vittataPteris vittatat0
- Treatment
- accumulation of Cre0
- Outcome
- growth rate, total biomass and RWCe0
- Direction
- decreasee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The accumulation of Cr resulted in decrease in growth rate, total biomass and RWC”
t0“Brake Fern (Pteris vittata)”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors interpret the absence of structural change as evidence that brake fern can take up, translocate and sequester arsenic.
- Taxon
- Pteris vittataPteris vittatat0
- Outcome
- uptake, translocate and sequester Ase0
- Qualifier
- no significant structural changese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“brake fern plants can uptake, translocate and sequester As because it caused no significant structural changes in leaves, stems and roots of the plants”
t0“Brake Fern (Pteris vittata)”