Abstract
The moss, Scopelophila cataractae (Mitt.) Broth., is a typical hyperaccumulator that is usually observed in copper-rich environments and which accumulates high concentrations of copper. However, many of the knowledge concerning copper response in S. cataractae remain unknown. In this study, we examined the effects of copper treatment on S. cataractae protonema culture cell. As a result, we found a copper-dependent response that switches between caulonema and gemma differentiation in S. cataractae. The effect was not observed by treatment with heavy metals other than copper, implying that the copper-specific regulatory mechanisms of cell differentiation might be related to the uneven distribution to the copper-rich environment in S. cataractae.
