Peculiarities of the morpho-physiological reactions of mosses depending on the water-temperature regime of their local growth

Abstract

The morphological structure of and the activity of the catalase of mosses Ptychostomum imbricatulum and Brachythecium rutabulum depending on microclimatic conditions of their local growth were studied. The morphological variability of moss turfs in different ecological conditions of forest ecosystems was established, in particular, the influence of the level of moisture in local growth on the morphometric parameters of mosses (the density of the turf, the height of the shoots and their foliage and the size of the leaves) was revealed. It is shown that the morphological structure of the turfs of the mosses Ptychostomum imbricatulum and Brachythecium rutabulum is important for moisture conservation and depends on the microclimatic conditions of local growth and the life form of the species. It is shown that the increase in the content of hydrogen peroxide as a signaling mediator is a component of the antioxidant protection system. It was established that the highest content of hydrogen peroxide was in shoots of P. imbricatulum from the territory of pine plantations, where the microclimatic conditions are the least favorable. The obtained results indicate the existence of interdependence between the formation of reactive oxygen species and the activity of catalase as one of the key enzymes of antioxidant protection, which indicates the signaling role of reactive oxygen species in moss cells under stress conditions. The dependence of catalase activity in moss cells on the level of hydration of their turfs was established. The activation of catalase in adverse water and temperature conditions in the shoots of the studied species indicates the participation of the enzyme in the adaptation of plants to stress and is due to the strengthening of free radical oxidation processes, in particular, an increase in the content of hydrogen peroxide.