RADICAL-INDUCED CELL DEATH1 and SIMILAR TO RCD ONE1 and the stress-induced morphogenetic response

Plants exposed to abiotic stress show a range of morphogenetic responses, sometimes termed the stress-induced morphogenetic response (SIMR). SIMR is principally composed of three components: inhibition of cell elongation, alterations in cell differentiation, and stimulus of cell division in localized areas. An explanation proposed for SIMR has been increased accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and alterations in hormone signaling. Mutations in the Arabidopsis thaliana RADICAL-INDUCED CELL DEATH1 (RCD1) gene have altered abiotic stress responses and ROS accumulation. Even in the absence of exogenous stress, these plants show many morphological changes also seen in SIMR. In the September issue of Plant Physiology we reported an in depth analysis of the phenotype of rcd1-3 plants as well as the phenotype of a mutations in the previously uncharacterized paralog of RCD1, SIMILAR TO RCD ONE1 (SRO1). sro1-1 plants have mild morphological changes and abiotic stress response defects while rcd1-3; sro1-1 double mutant plants have severe developmental defects, including less cell elongation. In this Addendum, we hypothesize that rcd1, sro1 and rcd1; sro1 mutant plants are under constitutive stress, and that this stress is responsible for at least some of the developmental defects seen in these plants.Key words: RCD1, SRO1, Arabidopsis thaliana, reactive oxygen species, stress-induced morphogenetic response, PARPPlants as sessile organisms cannot move upon environmental change. Therefore, plants have evolved a diverse repertoire of responses in order to lower stress exposure, limit the damage caused or repair such damage. Chronic mild stress, from a variety of abiotic stresses, can cause a morphogenetic response that has been termed the stress-induced morphogenetic response (SIMR).¹ This response involves growth inhibition through suppression of cell elongation, changes in cell differentiation status, and localized stimulation of cell division. Typical SIMR responses include decreased elongation of the primary root accompanied by increased formation of lateral roots, decreased stem height, decreased leaf area and increased branching. Importantly, plants do not cease growth, rather they redistribute the areas undergoing active growth.Although the molecular and cellular network underlying SIMR has not been completely worked out, several key elements have been identified.² The importance of the phytohormone auxin in morphogenetic changes seen in SIMR has been noted by several groups. Changes in auxin distribution and metabolism are induced by many stresses and correlates well with phenotypes induced by stress, such as increased lateral root growth, suggesting that changes in auxin signaling may be a causative agent in SIMR. Furthermore, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are known to accumulate in plants upon stress of many types, especially those that have been linked with SIMR. Once ROS accumulates, plants upregulate ROS scavenging systems, which can subsequently provide protection against a range of further environmental assaults. Extensive interactions between the auxin signaling pathway and ROS have been documented, suggesting that these two pathways may act in concert during SIMR.Mutations in the Arabidopsis thaliana gene RADICAL-INDUCED CELL DEATH1 (RCD1) were originally isolated in a screen for plants hypersensitive to ozone.³ This gene encodes a putative poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP).⁴ PARPs attach ADP-ribose subunits from NAD⁺ to proteins post-translationally and are found across the eukaryotes. Although members of this enzyme family share the PARP catalytic domain, other regions of the proteins can vary dramatically, reflecting the diversity of functions these proteins have acquired. RCD1 belongs to a group of PARPs found only in land plants (Citarelli, Teotia S and Lamb RS, submitted) and contains a WWE domain N-terminal to the PARP catalytic domain. RCD1 has been shown to have complex roles in abiotic stress and development. rcd1 mutants are known to accumulate, even under non-inducing conditions, ROS³ and nitric oxide,⁵ suggesting that it normally works, directly or indirectly, to negatively regulate the accumulation of these compounds. Further evidence that rcd1 plants may be under stress include upregulation in the mutant of AOX1a and UPOX, two markers of oxidative stress.⁶ Complicating any interpretation of defects seen in rcd1 single mutants is the fact that, in addition to RCD1, Arabidopsis also encodes a paralog, SIMILAR TO RCD ONE1 (SRO1).In our recent publication,⁷ we describe in detail phenotypes of mutations in RCD1 and SRO1 and double mutants between the two. The developmental defects seen in the single mutants are similar to those associated with SIMR, although defects in RCD1 generally cause more severe defects. Both rcd1-3 and sro1-1 plants have an increased number of lateral roots (increase in local cell division and redirected growth), while rcd1-3 plants also have shorter primary roots. rcd1-3 plants are shorter with smaller leaves (growth inhibition). Examination of double mutant plants further support the hypothesis that many phenotypes seen when these genes are malfunctioning are due to deregulated SIMR. Most rcd1-3; sro1-1 plants die during embryogenesis; however, those that survive have severe defects. These plants are extremely short, due, at least in part, to reduced cell elongation in the stem. The leaves are small for similar reasons. In addition, these plants are bushy due to arrest of the shoot apical meristem and activation of axillary meristems. All of these phenotypes are extreme examples of phenotypes seen in plants under stress from a variety of sources, including UV-B, heavy metals and salt.¹In order to determine if rcd1-3; sro1-1 seedlings grown under normal conditions are under stress, we examined molecular markers of stress in this background. The small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) is a ubiquitin-like polypeptide attached covalently to proteins. In Arabidopsis it has been demonstrated that sumoylated proteins accumulate under a variety of abiotic stresses such as heat shock and H₂O₂.⁸ We examined the accumulation of SUMO-modified proteins in rcd1-3; sro1-1 seedlings in comparison to wild type and two mutant backgrounds (nuclear pore anchor (nua)-1 and -2) in which such proteins have previously been shown to accumulate (Fig. 1A; western done according to⁹). The double mutant seedlings accumulate more sumoylated proteins, not only in comparison to wild type but also in comparison to the nua mutants. The accumulation of modified proteins supports the hypothesis that rcd1-3; sro1-1 seedlings are exhibiting constitutive stress. The expression of PARP2, which encodes a so-called classical PARP enzyme involved in DNA repair,¹⁰ has been shown to go up under a number of stress conditions.^11–15 We used RT-PCR to examine expression of this gene in our mutant backgrounds. PARP2 expression is increased in rcd1-3; sro1-1 seedlings and may also be higher than wild type in rcd1-3 and sro1-1 single mutants (Fig. 1B). This further supports our contention that loss of function in RCD1 and SRO1 results in constitutive stress and morphogenetic defects similar to those seen in SIMR.Open in a separate windowFigure 1rcd1-3; sro1-1 plants are under constitutive stress. (A) rcd1-3; sro1-1 seedlings accumulate sumoylated proteins. The upper panel shows a western blot with anti-SUM O antibody according to Xu et al.⁹ Asterisk indicates sumoylated proteins, while the lower bands are free SUM O. The lower panel shows a coomassie-stained gel showing total protein as a loading control. Lane 1, wild type; lane 2, rcd1-3; sro1-1; lane 3, nua-1; lane 4, nua-2. (B) Expression of the stress-inducible gene PARP2 is increased in rcd1-3; sro1-1 seedlings. RT -PCR done from two biological replicates with RNA extracted from seedlings is shown. Primers used to amplify PARP2 were as follows: PAR P2RT F (GCA AGC CCA CAT AA G CC G TGG AGG) and PAR P2RTR (TGC CT G CTC TT G AAT TT G TTT AC G TGC). Actin expression was used as a control; primers as in Teotia and Lamb.⁷ Lane 1, wild type; lane 2, rcd1-3; lane 3, sro1-1; lane 4, rcd1-3; sro1-1.In conclusion, we hypothesize that RCD1 and SRO1 are negative regulators of ROS and/or nitric oxide. When their function is compromised, these compounds accumulate, even in the absence of stress conditions. This causes the plant to develop as if under constitutive abiotic stress, leading to a SIMR phenotype even under ideal growth conditions. Further experimentation will be required to test this hypothesis.     

Overexpression of the RADICAL-INDUCED CELL DEATH1 (RCD1) gene of Arabidopsis causes weak rcd1 phenotype with compromised oxidative-stress responses

rcd1 is a mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana that is more resistant to methyl viologen, but more sensitive to ozone than the wild type. rcd1-2 is caused by a single nucleotide substitution that results in a premature stop codon at Trp-332. The rcd1-2 mRNA level does not change significantly with the mutation. Since overexpression of rcd1-1 cDNA has been shown to bring about an rcd1-like phenotype, we created and examined the overexpression lines of RCD1 by the use of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. The transgenic lines exhibited a weak rcd1-like phenotype, although no resistance to methyl viologen was observed. Further, they fully complemented the aberrant rcd1-2 phenotype. Subcellular localization of RCD1 was examined by transiently expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) fused with RCD1 in onion epidermal cells. GFP signals are observed as aggregated foci in the inner nuclear matrix-like region.     

Yeast lacking the SRO7/SOP1-encoded tumor suppressor homologue show increased susceptibility to apoptosis-like cell death on exposure to NaCl stress

Yeast cells deleted for the SRO7/SOP1 encoded tumor suppressor homologue show increased sensitivity to NaCl stress. On exposure to growth-inhibiting NaCl concentrations, sro7Delta mutants display a rapid loss in viability that is associated with markers of apoptosis: accumulation of reactive oxygen species, DNA breakage, and nuclear fragmentation. Additional deletion of the yeast metacaspase gene YCA1 prevents the primary fast drop in viability and diminishes nuclear fragmentation and DNA breakage. We also observed that NaCl induced loss in viability of wild-type cells is Yca1p dependent. However, a yeast strain deleted for both SRO7 and its homologue SRO77 exhibits NaCl-induced cell death that is independent on YCA1. Likewise, sro77Delta single mutants do not survive better after additional deletion of the YCA1 gene, and both sro77Delta and sro77Deltayca1Delta mutants display apoptotic characteristics when exposed to growth-inhibiting salinity, suggesting that yeast possesses Yca1p-independent pathway(s) for apoptosis-like cell death. The activity of Yca1p increases with increasing NaCl stress and sro7Delta mutants achieve levels that are higher than in wild-type cells. However, mutants lacking SRO77 do not enhance caspase activity when subject to NaCl stress, suggesting that Sro7p and Sro77p exert opposing effects on the cellular activity of Yca1p.     

Overexpression of the RADICAL-INDUCED CELL DEATH1 (RCD1) Gene of Arabidopsis Causes Weak rcd1 Phenotype with Compromised Oxidative-Stress Responses

rcd1 is a mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana that is more resistant to methyl viologen, but more sensitive to ozone than the wild type. rcd1-2 is caused by a single nucleotide substitution that results in a premature stop codon at Trp-332. The rcd1-2 mRNA level does not change significantly with the mutation. Since overexpression of rcd1-1 cDNA has been shown to bring about an rcd1-like phenotype, we created and examined the overexpression lines of RCD1 by the use of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. The transgenic lines exhibited a weak rcd1-like phenotype, although no resistance to methyl viologen was observed. Further, they fully complemented the aberrant rcd1-2 phenotype. Subcellular localization of RCD1 was examined by transiently expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) fused with RCD1 in onion epidermal cells. GFP signals are observed as aggregated foci in the inner nuclear matrix-like region.     

The similar to RCD-one 1 protein SRO1 interacts with GPX3 and functions in plant tolerance of mercury stress

Heavy metals in the environment are one of the major limiting factors affecting plant growth and development. However, the mechanisms of the heavy metal-induced physiological processes remain to be fully dissected. Here, we explored that SRO1 can physically interact with Glutathione Peroxidase 3 (GPX3) in Arabidopsis. Under Hg treatment, similar to the sro1, the growth of the gpx3/sro1 was repressed more seriously and the number of true leaves was more reduced and etiolated than that of the wild type and gpx3 plants. The electrolyte leakage rates showed that cell membrane integrity in gpx3/sro1 was damaged more severely than in the wild type and gpx3 mutant. The Real-time PCR results have shown that the expression of the APX1 and CAT3 was reduced under mercury stress in the sro1 and sro1/gpx3. Our results suggested that the combination of the SRO1 and GPX3 may be contributed to plant response to mercury stress by regulating ROS intracellular oxidative homeostasis.     

Arabidopsis RADICAL-INDUCED CELL DEATH1 belongs to the WWE protein-protein interaction domain protein family and modulates abscisic acid, ethylene, and methyl jasmonate responses

Experiments with several Arabidopsis thaliana mutants have revealed a web of interactions between hormonal signaling. Here, we show that the Arabidopsis mutant radical-induced cell death1 (rcd1), although hypersensitive to apoplastic superoxide and ozone, is more resistant to chloroplastic superoxide formation, exhibits reduced sensitivity to abscisic acid, ethylene, and methyl jasmonate, and has altered expression of several hormonally regulated genes. Furthermore, rcd1 has higher stomatal conductance than the wild type. The rcd1-1 mutation was mapped to the gene At1g32230 where it disrupts an intron splice site resulting in a truncated protein. RCD1 belongs to the (ADP-ribosyl)transferase domain-containing subfamily of the WWE protein-protein interaction domain protein family. The results suggest that RCD1 could act as an integrative node in hormonal signaling and in the regulation of several stress-responsive genes.     

The yeast tumor suppressor homologue Sro7p is required for targeting of the sodium pumping ATPase to the cell surface

The SRO7/SOP1 encoded tumor suppressor homologue of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is required for maintenance of ion homeostasis in cells exposed to NaCl stress. Here we show that the NaCl sensitivity of the sro7Delta mutant is due to defective sorting of Ena1p, the main sodium pump in yeast. On exposure of sro7Delta mutants to NaCl stress, Ena1p fails to be targeted to the cell surface, but is instead routed to the vacuole for degradation via the multivesicular endosome pathway. SRO7-deficient mutants accumulate post-Golgi vesicles at high salinity, in agreement with a previously described role for Sro7p in late exocytosis. However, Ena1p is not sorted into these post-Golgi vesicles, in contrast to what is observed for the vesicles that accumulate when exocytosis is blocked in sec6-4 mutants at high salinity. These observations imply that Sro7p has a previously unrecognized role for sorting of specific proteins into the exocytic pathway. Screening for multicopy suppressors identified RSN1, encoding a transmembrane protein of unknown function. Overexpression of RSN1 restores NaCl tolerance of sro7Delta mutants by retargeting Ena1p to the plasma membrane. We propose a model in which blocked exocytic sorting in sro7Delta mutants, gives rise to quality control-mediated routing of Ena1p to the vacuole.     

Sro9, a Multicopy Suppressor of the Bud Growth Defect in the Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Rho3-Deficient Cells, Shows Strong Genetic Interactions with Tropomyosin Genes, Suggesting Its Role in Organization of the Actin Cytoskeleton

RHO3 encodes a Rho-type small GTPase in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and is involved in the proper organization of the actin cytoskeleton required for bud growth. SRO9 (YCL37c) was isolated as a multicopy suppressor of a rho3δ mutation. An Sro9p domain required for function is similar to a domain in the La protein (an RNA-binding protein). Disruption of SRO9 did not affect vegetative growth, even with the simultaneous disruption of an SRO9 homologue, SRO99. However, sro9δ was synthetically lethal with a disruption of TPM1, which encodes tropomyosin; sro9δ tpm1δ cells did not distribute cortical actin patches properly and lysed. We isolated TPM2, the other gene for tropomyosin, as a multicopy suppressor of a tpm1δ sro9δ double mutant. Genetic analysis suggests that TPM2 is functionally related to TPM1 and that tropomyosin is important but not essential for cell growth. Overexpression of SRO9 suppressed the growth defect in tpm1δ tpm2δ cells, disappearance of cables of actin filaments in both rho3δ cells and tpm1δ cells, and temperature sensitivity of actin mutant cells (act1-1 cells), suggesting that Sro9p has a function that overlaps or is related to tropomyosin function. Unlike tropomyosin, Sro9p does not colocalize with actin cables but is diffusely cytoplasmic. These results suggest that Sro9p is a new cytoplasmic factor involved in the organization of actin filaments.     

The role of OsBRI1 and its homologous genes, OsBRL1 and OsBRL3, in rice

Since first identifying two alleles of a rice (Oryza sativa) brassinosteroid (BR)-insensitive mutant, d61, that were also defective in an orthologous gene in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1 (BRI1), we have isolated eight additional alleles, including null mutations, of the rice BRI1 gene OsBRI1. The most severe mutant, d61-4, exhibited severe dwarfism and twisted leaves, although pattern formation and differentiation were normal. This severe shoot phenotype was caused mainly by a defect in cell elongation and the disturbance of cell division after the determination of cell fate. In contrast to its severe shoot phenotype, the d61-4 mutant had a mild root phenotype. Concomitantly, the accumulation of castasterone, the active BR in rice, was up to 30-fold greater in the shoots, while only 1.5-fold greater in the roots. The homologous genes for OsBRI1, OsBRL1 and OsBRL3, were highly expressed in roots but weakly expressed in shoots, and their expression was higher in d61-4 than in the wild type. Based on these observations, we conclude that OsBRI1 is not essential for pattern formation or organ initiation, but is involved in organ development through controlling cell division and elongation. In addition, OsBRL1 and OsBRL3 are at least partly involved in BR perception in the roots.     

Serotonin modulates Arabidopsis root growth via changes in reactive oxygen species and jasmonic acid–ethylene signaling

Serotonin (5‐hydroxytryptamine) is a bioactive indoleamine with neurotransmitter function in vertebrates, which represents an emerging signaling molecule in plants, playing key roles in the development and defense. In this study, the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and jasmonic acid (JA)–ethylene (Et) signaling in root developmental alterations induced by serotonin was investigated. An Arabidopsis thaliana mutant defective at the RADICAL‐INDUCED CELL DEATH1 (RCD1) locus was resistant to paraquat‐induced ROS accumulation in primary roots and showed decreased inhibition or root growth in response to serotonin. A suite of JA‐ and Et‐related mutants including coronatine insensitive1, jasmonic acid resistant1 (jar1), etr1, ein2 and ein3 showed tolerance to serotonin in the inhibition of primary root growth and ROS redistribution within the root tip when compared with wild‐type (WT) seedlings. Competence assays between serotonin and AgNO₃, a well‐known blocker of Et action, showed that primary root growth in medium supplemented with serotonin was normalized by AgNO_3, whereas roots of eto3, an Et overproducer mutant, were oversensitive to serotonin. Comparison of ROS levels in WT, etr1, jar1 and rcd1 primary root tips using the ROS‐specific probe 2′,7′‐dichlorofluorescein diacetate and confocal imaging showed that serotonin inhibition of primary root growth likely occurs independently of its conversion into melatonin. Our results provide compelling evidence that serotonin affects ROS distribution in roots, involving RCD1 and components of the JA–Et signaling pathways.     

SHORT-ROOT 1 is critical to cell division and tracheary element development in rice roots

The exocyst is a key factor in vesicle transport and is involved in cell secretion, cell growth, cell division and other cytological processes in eukaryotes. EXO70 is the key exocyst subunit. We obtained a gene, SHORT-ROOT 1 (SR1), through map-based cloning and genetic complementation. SR1 is a conserved protein with an EXO70 domain in plants. SR1 mutation affected the whole root-development process: producing shorter radicles, adventitious roots and lateral roots, and demonstrating abnormal xylem development, resulting in dwarfing and reduced water potential and moisture content. SR1 was largely expressed in the roots, but only in developing root meristems and tracheary elements. The shortness of the sr1 mutant roots was caused by the presence of fewer meristem cells. The in situ histone H4 expression patterns confirmed that cell proliferation during root development was impaired. Tracheary element dysplasia was caused by marked decreases in the inner diameters of and distances between the perforations of adjacent tracheary elements. The membrane transport of sr1 mutants was blocked, affecting cell division in the root apical region and the development of root tracheary elements. The study of SR1 will deepen our understanding of the function of EXO70 genes in Oryza sativa (rice) and guide future studies on the molecular mechanisms involved in plant root development.     

甘蓝型油菜根系突变体lrn1、prl1和野生型根系显微结构的差异

油菜外源细胞分裂素不敏感突变体lrn1和prl1表现为磷高效。营养液培养0.2μmol/L细胞分裂素(6-BA)处理,与甘蓝型油菜野生型‘宁油7号’(WT)相比,突变体lrn1侧根较多,prl1主根较长。本研究利用体式显微技术、非切片压片法以及石蜡切片等技术,对3个基因型在ddH2O和0.2μmol/L 6-BA处理下的根毛、根表皮细胞分化及根尖解剖结构的差异进行了观察,结果表明:ddH2O处理,种子发芽后第1、3、6、9 d,lrn1、prl1和WT根尖成熟区根毛较少。0.2μmol/L 6-BA处理,种子发芽后第3 d,lrn1、prl1和WT根尖形成大量根毛,其中WT根毛最多、密度最大;prl1根毛最少,密度也最小;lrn1处于两者之间。种子发芽后第6 d,lrn1、prl1和WT分生区和伸长区明显缩短,lrn1和prl1分生区面积无显著差异,但两者均显著大于WT;lrn1和prl1根冠细胞结构较正常,而WT根冠细胞结构畸形;lrn1皮层原细胞之间排列较WT和prl1紧密。种子发芽后第9 d,lrn1已有4条侧根,但prl1与WT无侧根形成。6-BA处理,prl1主根较长,与其根尖分生区面积较大密切相关;lrn1侧根较多,可能与中柱原细胞排列密度较高密切相关。     

Poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerases regulate cell division and development in Arabidopsis roots

Root organogenesis involves cell division,differentiation and expansion. The molecular mechanisms regulating root development are not fully understood.In this study, we identified poly(adenosine diphosphate(ADP)-ribose) polymerases(PARPs) as new players in root development. PARP catalyzes poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of proteins by repeatedly adding ADP-ribose units onto proteins using nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide(NADt)as the donor. We found that inhibition of PARP activities by3-aminobenzomide(3-AB) increased the growth rates of both primary and lateral roots, leading to a more developed root system. The double mutant of Arabidopsis PARPs, parp1parp2, showed more rapid primary and lateral root growth. Cyclin genes regulating G1-to-S and G2-to-Mtransition were up-regulated upon treatment by 3-AB.The proportion of 2C cells increased while cells with higher DNA ploidy declined in the roots of treated plants, resulting in an enlarged root meristematic zone. The expression level of PARP2 was very low in the meristematic zone but high in the maturation zone, consistent with a role of PARP in inhibiting mitosis and promoting cell differentiation. Our results suggest that PARPs play an important role in root development by negatively regulating root cell division.     

Quiescent center formation in maize roots is associated with an auxin-regulated oxidizing environment

Embedded within the meristem of all Angiosperm roots is a population of slowly dividing cells designated the quiescent center (QC). In maize roots the QC can constitute upwards of 800-1200 cells, most of which spend an extended period of time (180-200 hours) in the G(1) phase of the cell cycle. How the QC forms and is maintained is not known. Here we report that cells of the QC are characterized by their highly oxidized status. Glutathione and ascorbic acid occur predominately in the oxidized forms in the QC. This is contrasted with the status of these redox intermediates in adjacent, rapidly dividing cells in the root meristem, in which the reduced forms of these two species are favored. Using a redox sensitive fluorescent dye we were able to visualize an overall oxidizing environment in the QC, and we also made comparisons with the adjacent, rapidly dividing cells in the root meristem. Altering the distribution of auxin and the location of the auxin maximum in the root tip activates the QC, and cells leave G(1) and enter mitosis. Commencement of relatively more rapid cell division in the QC is preceded by changes in the overall redox status of the QC, which becomes less oxidizing. We discuss how the position of the auxin maximum may influence the redox status of the QC and thereby modulate the cell cycle.     

Natural (non-pathogenic) death of the cortex of wheat and barley seminal roots,as evidenced by nuclear staining with acridine orange

Summary Nuclear staining with acridine orange was used to assess cell viability in the cortex of wheat and barley seminal roots from glasshouse and field experiments. Results from this method correlated well with nuclear assessments made in unstained or Feulgen-stained roots, and other evidence is presented to support the validity of the method. The pattern of root cortex death (RCD) was similar in wheat and barley and consistent over a wide range of conditions. Behind the extending root tip and zone of nucleate root hairs, nuclei disappeared progressively from the outer five (of six) cortical cell layers of the root axes, starting in the epidermis. Stainable nuclei remained in the sixth cell layer, next to the endodermis, and in most cell layers around the bases of root laterals and in a small region immediately below the grain. The onset of cell death was apparently related more to the age of a root region than to its distance behind the root tip, and it was not closely correlated with endodermal or stelar development assessed by staining with phloroglucinol/HCl. The rate of RCD was much faster in wheat than barley in both glasshouse and field conditions, and faster in some spring wheat cultivars than in others in the glasshouse. RCD occurred in sterile vermiculite and perlite and was not enhanced by the presence of soil microorganisms; nor was it enhanced in soil by the addition of the non-pathogenic fungal parasitesPhialophora radicicola var..graminicola orMicrodochium bolleyi. RCD is suggested to be endogenously controlled by the amount of photosynthate reaching the cortex. Its implications for growth of soil microorganisms and especially for growth and biological control of root-infecting fungi are discussed.     

Somatic Embryogenesis Receptor Kinases Control Root Development Mainly via Brassinosteroid-Independent Actions in Arabidopsis thaliana

Brassinosteroids(BRs),a group of plant steroidal hormones,play critical roles in many aspects of plant growth and development.Previous studies showed that BRI1-mediated BR signaling regulates cell division and differentiation during Arabidopsis root development via interplaying with auxin and other phytohormones.Arabidopsis somatic embryogenesis receptor-like kinases(SERKs),as co-receptors of BRI1,were found to play a fundamental role in an early activation step of BR signaling pathway.Here we report a novel function of SERKs in regulating Arabidopsis root development.Genetic analyses indicated that SERKs control root growth mainly via a BR-independent pathway.Although BR signaling pathway is completely disrupted in the serk1 bak1 bkk1 triple mutant,the root growth of the triple mutant is much severely damaged than the BR deficiency or signaling null mutants.More detailed analyses indicated that the triple mutant exhibited drastically reduced expression of a number of genes critical to polar auxin transport,cell cycle,endodermis development and root meristem differentiation,which were not observed in null BR biosynthesis mutant cpd and null BR signaling mutant bri1-701.