ELEMENT LOCALIZATION IN MYCORRHIZAL ROOTS OF PTERIDIUM-AQUILINUM (L) KUHN COLLECTED FROM EXPERIMENTAL PLOTS TREATED WITH CADMIUM DUST

Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn roots collected from plots localized in a Pino-Quercetum forest, treated 10 yr before with 2000 Mg km-2 of cadmium dust, were examined. The ultrastructure of endomycorrhizal roots and element distribution, determined using the electron energy loss spectroscopy, is given. The cytoplasm of the mycorrhizal fungus was found to contain more Cd, Ti and Ba than that of the host cells of the fern. Within polyphosphate granules present in fungal vacuoles beside Fe, S, N and Al which were reported by other authors, Cd, Ti and B were localized. Within fern cells Cd, Al, Fe, Zn and Cu were found to be accumulated both in plastids, especially in electron-opaque, globular or crystalloid material, and on the surface of transfer cell wall ingrowth.