Calcium oxalate crystals in eucalypt ectomycorrhizae: morphochemical characterization

PLoS One. 2013 Jul 2;8(7):e67685. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0067685. Print 2013.

Abstract

Ectomycorrhizal fungi are ubiquitous in forest ecosystems, benefitting plants principally by increasing the uptake of water and nutrients such as calcium from the soil. Previous work has demonstrated accumulation of crystallites in eucalypt ectomycorrhizas, but detailed morphological and chemical characterization of these crystals has not been performed. In this work, cross sections of acetic acid-treated and cleared ectomycorrhizal fragments were visualized by polarized light microscopy to evaluate the location of crystals within cortical root cells. Ectomycorrhizal sections were also observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive x-ray (EDS) microprobe analysis. The predominant forms of crystals were crystal sand (granules) and concretions. Calcium, carbon and oxygen were detected by EDS as constituent elements and similar elemental profiles were observed between both crystal morphologies. All analyzed crystalline structures were characterized as calcium oxalate crystals. This is the first report of the stoichiometry and morphology of crystals occurring in eucalypt ectomycorrhizas in tropical soils. The data corroborates the role of ectomycorrhizae in the uptake and accumulation of calcium in the form of calcium oxalate crystals in hybrid eucalypt plants.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Calcium Oxalate / chemistry*
  • Crystallization
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Eucalyptus / microbiology*
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Microscopy, Polarization
  • Mycorrhizae / chemistry*
  • Mycorrhizae / metabolism

Substances

  • Calcium Oxalate

Grants and funding

This work was funded by FAPEMIG (www.fapemig.br) grant APQ-00403-09, CNPq (www.cnpq.br), and CAPES (www.capes.gov.br). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.