Articolo in rivista, 2019, ENG, 10.1016/j.plaphy.2019.06.022

The multi-purpose role of hairiness in the lichens of coastal environments: Insights from Seirophora villosa (Ach.) Froden

Bianchi, Elisabetta; Benesperi, Renato; Colzi, Ilaria; Coppi, Andrea; Lazzaro, Lorenzo; Paoli, Luca; Papini, Alessio; Pignattelli, Sara; Tani, Corrado; Vignolini, Pamela; Gonnelli, Cristina

Univ Florence; Univ Florence; Univ Pisa; Univ Florence; Univ Florence

The fruticose epiphytic lichen Seirophora villosa, strictly associated with Juniperus shrublands in the Mediterranean basin, was used to investigate the role of hairiness on a lichen thallus, as a characteristic morphological trait. We evaluated the effect of hair removal on the physiological parameters of a set of samples, during desiccation and on exposure to different salt concentrations. Hairy thalli were less affected by salt, suggesting that during dehydration, the presence of hair protects the thallus from light irradiance, oxidative stresses and the lipid peroxidation generated by free radicals, and could offer passive, but selective, water control. Our results showed that hair could not only increase thallus surface and promote water absorption when availability is low, but could also repel the salt dissolved in water by activating a passive resistance mechanism, by preventing salt entering.

Plant physiology and biochemistry (Paris) 141 , pp. 398–406

Keywords

Antioxidant activity, Chlorophyll a fluorescence, Juniperus shrublands, Hair, MDA, Salt stress

CNR authors

Pignattelli Sara

CNR institutes

IBBR – Istituto di Bioscienze e Biorisorse