Uptake of Cu(II) by Schoenoplectus Californicus (C.A.Meyer) Soják (Cyperaceae)

RAMIREZ SILVIA; BILEN MARCOS; PORTA ANDRES; CAFFINI NESTOR

ACTA HORTICULTURAE

Año: 1999 p. 105 - 110

0567-7572

Schoenoplectus californicus is an aquatic plant diffused along the Rio de la Plata (Argentina) coast. This area shows important inputs of heavy metals as copper, cadmium and chromium due to massive industrial effluents discharges. In this works the kinetics of uptake of Cu (II) by Schoenoplectus californicus and its  effects on the elctrophoretic protein was studied. Cu (II) content was determinated by atomic adsorption spectrophotometry, and the protein pattern modification was followed by denaturing electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) gels bands at 16 kDa and 50 kDa shown a significant increase. These results reveals the presence of fast mechanisms of Cu (II) incorporation in Schoenoplectus californicus. On the other hand, if the increase observed in certain protein bands in SDS-PAGE would be related with Cu (II) uptake, this fact could be used as indicator of heavy metal contamination.