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Ethylene produced by the lichen Cladina stellaris exposed to sulphur and heavy‐metal‐containing solutions under acidic conditions
Author(s) -
KAUPPI M.,
KAUPPI A.,
GARTY J.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1469-8137.1998.00214.x
Subject(s) - ethylene , chemistry , metal , sulfur , nuclear chemistry , metal ions in aqueous solution , inorganic chemistry , catalysis , organic chemistry
Podetia of the terricolous lichen Cladina stellaris (Opiz) Brodo, collected in an unpolluted rural area in N. Finland, were wetted with either H 2 O, diluted acidic solutions of H 2 SO 4 , HNO 3 and NaHSO 3 , simulating acidic rain, or the following salts: K 2 SO 4 , KCl, CuSO 4 , CuCl 2 , Cu(NO 3 ) 3 , ZnSO 4 , ZnCl 2 , Zn(NO 3 ) 2 , FeSO 4 , FeCl 2 , Fe 2 (SO 4 ) 3 , FeCl 3 and Fe(NO 3 ) 3 . The samples were further exposed to combined treatments in both acidic solutions, simulating acidic rain, and heavy metal salts in solution. Lichen samples wetted with H 2 O at pH 6·8, diluted solutions of H 2 SO 4 , HNO 3 or a mixture of these two acids produced low concentrations of endogenous ethylene. The application of NaHSO 3 greatly increased the production of ethylene. The application of KCl induced a higher rate of ethylene production than the application of K 2 SO 4 solutions. The application of Cu‐containing solutions enhanced the production of ethylene. The influence of Zn was smaller than that of Cu. Iron was the most effective heavy metal to promote the production of ethylene: very high ethylene concentrations were detected upon the application of FeCl 2 . Combined treatments in H 2 SO 4 or H 2 SO 4 +HNO 3 followed by either FeCl 2 or FeSO 4 , yielded higher concentrations of ethylene than the same treatments in a reversed order. The role of Fe ions in the production of ethylene is discussed in reference to previous works dealing with ethylene production in higher plants, fungi and algae.