DEMONSTRATION OF ALUMINUM IN POLYPHOSPHATE OF LACCARIA-AMETHYSTEA (BOLT EX HOOKER) MURR BY MEANS OF ELECTRON-ENERGY-LOSS SPECTROSCOPY

Toxic aluminium species in acidified soil damage the rootlets of trees . The symbiotic association with ectomycorrhizal fungi may, however, p rotect the rootlets by sequestration of aluminium in polyphosphates. E lectron energy-loss imaging and spectroscopy was used to identify the relative amount of aluminium in the polyphosphate of the mycelium of t he ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria amethystea. A three-window method a t the L(2,3) edge yielded results which were in agreement with the spe ctra obtained at the aluminium K edge. The aluminium net distribution images were recorded at 85 eV, the backgrounds at 70 eV and 60 eV, set ting the energy selecting slit to 5 eV and the beam current to 15 mu A . The method can be used to study the sequestration of aluminium in my celia of ectomycorrhizal fungi under different stress situations.