Plant physiology

About: Plant physiology is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1537 publications have been published within this topic receiving 72038 citations.

Overexpression of FAD2 promotes seed germination and hypocotyl elongation in Brassica napus

Abstract: The enzyme fatty acid desaturase 2 (FAD2) transforms oleic acid (C18:1) to linoleic acid (C18:2) in plants and as such is involved in fatty acid synthesis. It is also involved in plant development and self-defense, such as seed germination, leaf expansion and cold resistance. We have cloned the full coding region of the Brassica napus FAD2 gene and ectopically expressed it in B. napus expressing low levels of FAD2. Overexpression of FAD2 under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter resulted in an up-regulated FAD2 mRNA level in B. napus as expected. Further analysis revealed that the FAD2 transgenic lines varied greatly in terms of their physiological characteristics, such as enhanced seed germination and increased hypocotyl length, compared to non-transgenic plants, suggesting that up-regulated FAD2 can promote seed germination and hypocotyl elongation in B. napus. Our results demonstrate the possible roles of FAD2 in plant development and also provide a platform for further analysis of fatty acid synthesis in plants.

Differential responses to drought stress in leaves and roots of wild jujube, Ziziphus lotus

Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of drought stress induced by polyethylene glycol-6000 in wild jujube, Ziziphus lotus. One-month-old, hydroponically grown seedlings were subjected to three treatments, i.e. normal watering (−0.2 MPa), moderate (−1.2 MPa) and severe (−2.1 MPa) drought stress for 14 days under controlled climatic conditions. Plant growth was markedly reduced with increasing osmotic stress. The shoot water potential (Ψw) and leaf relative water content followed similar patterns and significantly decreased with increasing osmolality of solutions. As a consequence of drought, contents in proline and soluble sugars were found to be more elevated in leaves than in roots. The level of lipid peroxidation in terms of malonyldialdehyde contents increased in both leaves and roots of drought-stressed plants. Wild jujube displayed higher activities of antioxidant enzymes in the roots than in the leaves. Catalase and guaiacol peroxidase activities increased significantly in drought-stressed roots, whereas ascorbate peroxidase activity showed a slight decline with no significant changes. These findings suggest that Z. lotus was able to adapt to severe drought stress by accumulation of compatible solutes and by activation of free radical-scavenging enzymes. Overall, defence mechanisms in Z. lotus against oxidative stress are organized differently in plant tissues, with higher solute accumulation in leaves and increased activity of antioxidants in roots, during drought stress.

Mixotrophic in vitro cultivations: the way to go astray in plant physiology

Abstract: Rate of photosynthesis and related plant carbohydrate status are crucial factors affecting plant vigor. Sugars providing carbon and energy sources serve also as important signaling molecules governing plant growth and development through a complex regulatory network. These facts are often neglected when mixotrophic cultivation of plants in vitro is used, where artificial exogenous sugar supply hinders studies of metabolism as well as sugar‐driven developmental processes. We compared the growth, selected gas‐exchange parameters and sugar metabolism characteristics in four model plants, potato (Solanum tuberosum ‘Lada’), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum ‘Samsun’), rapeseed (Brassica napus ‘Asgard’) and strawberry (Fragaria vesca), under both photomixotrophic (PM) and photoautotrophic (PA) conditions. To ensure PA conditions, we used our improved sun caps that serve as gas and light permeable covers for cultivation vessels. We found bigger biomass accumulation, larger leaf areas, higher stomatal conductance and higher instantaneous water use efficiency and lower root sugar contents in PA plants compared to PM ones. However, for other characteristics (root biomass, root/shoot ratio, pigment contents, leaf sugar and starch levels and transpiration rates), a strong species‐dependent reactions to the exogenous sugar supply was noted, which does not allow to create a general view on the overall impact of PM nutrition under in vitro conditions.

Lycopene β-cyclase expression influences plant physiology, development, and metabolism in tobacco plants

Abstract: Carotenoids are important isoprenoids produced in the plastids of photosynthetic organisms that play key roles in photoprotection and antioxidative processes. β-Carotene is generated from lycopene by lycopene β-cyclase (LCYB). Previously, we demonstrated that the introduction of the Daucus carota (carrot) DcLCYB1 gene into tobacco (cv. Xanthi) resulted in increased levels of abscisic acid (ABA) and especially gibberellins (GAs), resulting in increased plant yield. In order to understand this phenomenon prior to exporting this genetic strategy to crops, we generated tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Petit Havana) mutants that exhibited a wide range of LCYB expression. Transplastomic plants expressing DcLCYB1 at high levels showed a wild-type-like growth, even though their pigment content was increased and their leaf GA1 content was reduced. RNA interference (RNAi) NtLCYB lines showed different reductions in NtLCYB transcript abundance, correlating with reduced pigment content and plant variegation. Photosynthesis (leaf absorptance, Fv/Fm, and light-saturated capacity of linear electron transport) and plant growth were impaired. Remarkably, drastic changes in phytohormone content also occurred in the RNAi lines. However, external application of phytohormones was not sufficient to rescue these phenotypes, suggesting that altered photosynthetic efficiency might be another important factor explaining their reduced biomass. These results show that LCYB expression influences plant biomass by different mechanisms and suggests thresholds for LCYB expression levels that might be beneficial or detrimental for plant growth.

Elucidating the Possible Involvement of Maize Aquaporins and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis in the Plant Ammonium and Urea Transport under Drought Stress Conditions.

Abstract: This study investigates the possible involvement of maize aquaporins which are regulated by arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) in the transport in planta of ammonium and/or urea under well-watered and drought stress conditions. The study also aims to better understand the implication of the AM symbiosis in the uptake of urea and ammonium and its effect on plant physiology and performance under drought stress conditions. AM and non-AM maize plants were cultivated under three levels of urea or ammonium fertilization (0, 3 µM or 10 mM) and subjected or not to drought stress. Plant aquaporins and physiological responses to these treatments were analyzed. AM increased plant biomass in absence of N fertilization or under low urea/ ammonium fertilization, but no effect of the AM symbiosis was observed under high N supply. This effect was associated with reduced oxidative damage to lipids and increased N accumulation in plant tissues. High N fertilization with either ammonium or urea enhanced net photosynthesis (AN) and stomatal conductance (gs) in plants maintained under well-watered conditions, but 14 days after drought stress imposition these parameters declined in AM plants fertilized with high N doses. The aquaporin ZmTIP1;1 was up-regulated by both urea and ammonium and could be transporting these two N forms in planta. The differential regulation of ZmTIP4;1 and ZmPIP2;4 with urea fertilization and of ZmPIP2;4 with NH4+ supply suggests that these two aquaporins may also play a role in N mobilization in planta. At the same time, these aquaporins were also differentially regulated by the AM symbiosis, suggesting a possible role in the AM-mediated plant N homeostasis that deserves future studies.