Biomaterial Database

Cadmium-induced colony disintegration of duckweed (Lemna paucicostata Hegelm.) and as biomarker of phytotoxicity. 2004

T Y Li, and Z T Xiong

Department of Environmental Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China.

The toxic effect of cadmium on Lemna paucicostata was investigated with hydroponic culture in a culture facility. Cadmium treatment (0.4-6.4 micromol L(-1) Cd) induced L. paucicostata to release daughter fronds from the mother frond before maturity, resulting in colony disintegration. The 8-h and 24-h EC(50) values for colony disintegration in L. paucicostata plants were 0.12 and 0.11 mg L(-1), respectively. The maximum permissible concentrations (MPCs) were 0.012 and 0.011 mg L(-1) accordingly (MPC = 10% x EC(50)). These values were lower than the values of most of these biomarkers in duckweed reported in the literature, suggesting that colony disintegration in L. paucicostata may serve as a sensitive biomarker for the phytotoxicity test. Nutrient concentrations (1/2, 1/10, 1/20, 1/40, and 0-fold concentrations of Hoagland's solution) and Cd salt form (CdCl(2) or CdSO(4)) did not have a significant effect on colony disintegration. In addition, resistance to Cd stress differed significantly among clones of the plants. Approximately 2% of colonies in the wild population of L. paucicostata were tolerant of cadmium. These results indicate that colony disintegration of L. paucicostata could be used as a sensitive, cost-effective, and valuable biomarker to assess the acute phytotoxicity of cadmium and other heavy metals.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D012100	Reproduction, Asexual	Reproduction without fusion of two types of cells, mostly found in ALGAE; FUNGI; and PLANTS. Asexual reproduction occurs in several ways, such as budding, fission, or splitting from "parent" cells. Only few groups of ANIMALS reproduce asexually or unisexually (PARTHENOGENESIS).	Asexual Reproduction,Asexual Reproductions,Reproductions, Asexual
D002104	Cadmium	An element with atomic symbol Cd, atomic number 48, and atomic weight 112.41. It is a metal and ingestion will lead to CADMIUM POISONING.
D004305	Dose-Response Relationship, Drug	The relationship between the dose of an administered drug and the response of the organism to the drug.	Dose Response Relationship, Drug,Dose-Response Relationships, Drug,Drug Dose-Response Relationship,Drug Dose-Response Relationships,Relationship, Drug Dose-Response,Relationships, Drug Dose-Response
D013997	Time Factors	Elements of limited time intervals, contributing to particular results or situations.	Time Series,Factor, Time,Time Factor
D018527	Hydroponics	A technique for growing plants in culture solutions rather than in soil. The roots are immersed in an aerated solution containing the correct proportions of essential mineral salts. (From Concise Dictionary of Biology, 1990)	Hydroponic
D020128	Inhibitory Concentration 50	The concentration of a compound needed to reduce population growth of organisms, including eukaryotic cells, by 50% in vitro. Though often expressed to denote in vitro antibacterial activity, it is also used as a benchmark for cytotoxicity to eukaryotic cells in culture.	IC50,Concentration 50, Inhibitory
D029064	Araceae	A plant family of the order ALISMATALES. Many members contain OXALIC ACID and calcium oxalate (OXALATES).	Cabbage, Skunk,Dracunculus Plant,Lettuce, Water,Lysichiton,Monstera,Orontium,Pistia,Skunk Cabbage,Symplocarpus,Aroideae,Aroids,Pistia stratiotes,Rhaphidophora,Aroid,Cabbages, Skunk,Dracunculus Plants,Lettuces, Water,Lysichitons,Monsteras,Orontiums,Pistia stratiote,Pistias,Plant, Dracunculus,Plants, Dracunculus,Rhaphidophoras,Skunk Cabbages,Water Lettuce,Water Lettuces,stratiote, Pistia