Patterns of Compartmentalisation of Cadmium Accumulation in Root Cortical Cells of Pigeonpea

摘要

The effect of 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 rnM concentrations of cadmium on its accumulation in 2-day and 6-day-old pigeonpea (cv. T21) seedling axes was determined. The cadmium accumulation increased with increased concentration and duration of exposure of the seedlings. The electron microscopic studies of the cortical cells of the root tips of pigeonpea seedlings exhibited increased vacuolisation and appearance of electron dense globules reflecting Compartmentalisation of cadmium as a measure of heavy metal tolerance. A characteristic pattern of dense globule formation in the cortical cells was observed. The smaller globules may be termed as electron-dense microglobules and the larger as electron-dense macroglobules.