Acta Botanica Croatica, Vol. 40 No. 1, 1981.
Original scientific paper
Fine Structural Changes of Wheat Plastids During Cadmium Induced Bleaching
Mercedes Wrischer
; Hrvatska
Ljerka Kunst
; Hrvatska
Abstract
Cadmium, when applied directly through the leaf surface, affects the greening of etiolated leaves in light and eventually produces their bleaching. After 2 days on 1 mmol solution of CdCl2, in yellow leaf portions the transformation of etioplasts into chloroplasts is strongly inhibited. The plastids contain tubular complexes (remnants of prolamellar bodies), some dilated prothylakoids, and stacks of appressed and bent cup shaped thy- lakoids. The chlorophyll synthesis and the photosynthetic activity (Hill reaction) of these plastids are very low, although the photosynthetic efficiency is higher than in the control. The changes described are discussed in connection with similar changes in some chlorophyll deficient mutants.
Athough the fine structure of chloroplasts of green leaves treated with cadmium is not considerably altered, the concentration of chlorophyll and the photosynthetic activity (Hill reaction) are much lower than in the control leaves.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
158429
URI
Publication date:
31.12.1981.
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