Effects of lanthanum on calcium and magnesium contents and cytoplasmic streaming of internodal cells of Chara corallina.

Biological and environmental effects of lanthanide series of elements have received much attention recently due to their wide applications. In this study, effects of La(3+) treatments on calcium and magnesium concentrations as well as cytoplasmic streaming of internodal cells of Chara corallina were investigated. At all treatment concentrations (10, 100, and 1,000 μM), La(3+) significantly decreased calcium concentrations in the cell-wall fractions after 5-h treatments. Calcium concentrations in the cell contents and magnesium concentrations in the cell-wall fractions were reduced by 100 and 1,000 μM La(3+) treatments. However, cytoplasmic streaming as an indicator of [Ca(2+)](cyt) was only inhibited at the highest La(3+) concentration (1,000 μM). The results suggest that La(3+) may affect cellular calcium homeostasis by actions other than as a simple Ca(2+) antagonist. La(3+) could partially compensate for calcium deficiency at certain concentrations.