Plant responsiveness to root-root communication of stress cues

Background and Aims

Phenotypic plasticity is based on the organism''s ability to perceive, integrate and respond to multiple signals and cues informative of environmental opportunities and perils. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that plants are able to adapt to imminent threats by perceiving cues emitted from their damaged neighbours. Here, the hypothesis was tested that unstressed plants are able to perceive and respond to stress cues emitted from their drought- and osmotically stressed neighbours and to induce stress responses in additional unstressed plants.

Methods

Split-root Pisum sativum, Cynodon dactylon, Digitaria sanguinalis and Stenotaphrum secundatum plants were subjected to osmotic stress or drought while sharing one of their rooting volumes with an unstressed neighbour, which in turn shared its other rooting volume with additional unstressed neighbours. Following the kinetics of stomatal aperture allowed testing for stress responses in both the stressed plants and their unstressed neighbours.

Key Results

In both P. sativum plants and the three wild clonal grasses, infliction of osmotic stress or drought caused stomatal closure in both the stressed plants and in their unstressed neighbours. While both continuous osmotic stress and drought induced prolonged stomatal closure and limited acclimation in stressed plants, their unstressed neighbours habituated to the stress cues and opened their stomata 3–24 h after the beginning of stress induction.

Conclusions

The results demonstrate a novel type of plant communication, by which plants might be able to increase their readiness to probable future osmotic and drought stresses. Further work is underway to decipher the identity and mode of operation of the involved communication vectors and to assess the potential ecological costs and benefits of emitting and perceiving drought and osmotic stress cues under various ecological scenarios.     

湖南四种尾矿环境下的狗牙根遗传多样性的RAPD分析

选择湖南4种有代表性的有色金属尾矿地所生长的野生狗牙根作为研究对象,并以正常生境下的野生狗牙根作为对照,采用RAPD技术分析了这些特别环境下的狗牙根的遗传多样性。17条10个核苷酸长的引物用于PCR扩增,共得到432条DNA带。检测位点160个,其中多态位点134个,占83.75%。各个类群间的Jaccard相似系数平均为0.4475±0.0806,遗传距离平均为0.3825±0.0712。结果显示生长于这些不同尾矿环境下的狗牙根种群在遗传本质上均产生了明显的分化,完全可以根据其尾矿基质的不同而划分为不同的生态型或品种,甚至可能处理为新的变种。狗牙根种群具有丰富的遗传多样性,作为先锋植物可为尾矿的复垦提供更多的品种选择。     

中国狗牙根[Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.]耐寒性及其变化规律

将49份具有代表性的我国狗牙根〔Cynodondactylon(L.)Pers.〕种源的离体叶片进行模拟低温处理,用电导法测其电导率,将电导率拟合Logistic方程,计算出狗牙根各种源叶片的半致死温度(LT50)。回归分析的结果表明:各种源的LT50与其所在的经纬度呈显著的线性关系,线性回归方程分别为Y=-31.3797 0.1478X和Y=-10.7982-0.1420X。依据LT50的变化,可将这49份狗牙根种源分为3大类,即低温敏感型(LT50≥-10℃)、过渡型(-18℃相似文献   

根癌农杆菌介导的金边狗牙根遗传转化条件的优化

为建立根癌农杆菌(Agrobacterium tumefaciens,菌(L.)Pers.]最佳遗传转化体系,以葡萄糖醛酸糖苷酶(GUS)基因的瞬间表达率为指标,从愈伤组织继代时间、根癌农杆菌侵染时间、负压条件及光照时间等方面进行了筛选.结果表明,根癌农杆菌介导的金边狗牙根最佳的转化体系是:以继代培养2周的愈伤组织为起始材料,根癌农杆菌介导感染10 min,经负压处理(抽拉20次)并在全光条件下共培养转化.     

Spread of exotic grass in grazed native grass pastures and responses of insect communities

Exotic grasses are widely established across the Southeastern United States for livestock forage, resulting in the structural and compositional simplification of grasslands. Replacing exotic forages with native warm‐season grasses (NWSG) could benefit insects due to increased complexity of plant structure and composition, but livestock grazing also may facilitate spread of remnant exotic grasses such as bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) by reducing height and coverage of NWSG. We investigated these relationships among 12 operational‐scale pastures (6.4–10.5 ha) in Mississippi, U.S.A., during May–July (2011–2012). We quantified changes in bermudagrass coverage from one treatment of grazed exotic forages and three treatments of recently established NWSG, including a grazed mixed NWSG polyculture, a grazed Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) monoculture to evaluate the effects of stand‐type richness among NWSG pastures, and a non‐grazed NWSG polyculture to evaluate the effects of grazing. We also assessed responses of two insect orders, Orthoptera and Hemiptera, to treatment and bermudagrass coverage. We estimated a 101–190% average increase in coverage of bermudagrass in grazed native grass pastures (NWSG polyculture and Indian grass monoculture), but not in non‐grazed NWSG, suggesting that grazing facilitated the spread of this grass. Composition of Orthopteran and Hemipteran communities was correlated with bermudagrass coverage, and inter‐year differences in composition for both communities in grazed mixed NWSG, and for Hemiptera in grazed Indian grass, corresponded with increasing bermudagrass coverage in those treatments. Our results suggest that incomplete eradication of exotic forages prior to establishment of NWSG may be exacerbated by grazing, which could then impact stand condition and insect communities.     

Physiological and biochemical adaptations of Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. from the Salt Range (Pakistan) to salinity stress

Naturally adapted salt tolerant populations provide a valuable material for exploring the adaptive components of salt tolerance. Under this aspect, two populations of Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. were subjected to salt stress in hydroponics. One was collected from a heavily salt-affected soil in the vicinity of a natural salt lake, Uchhali Lake, in the Salt Range of the Punjab province of Pakistan, and the other from a normal non-saline habitat from the Faisalabad region. The NaCl treatments in Hoagland's nutrient solution were: Control (no salt), 50, 100, 150 and 200 mM of NaCl. After 8 weeks of growth in hydroponics produced biomass, ion relations, and photosynthetic capacity were measured in the differently adapted ecotypes. In the ecotype of C. dactylon from the Salt Range, shoot dry weight was only slightly affected by varying levels of salt. However, in contrast, its root weight was markedly increased. On the other hand, the ecotype from Faisalabad (non-saline habitat) showed a marked decrease in shoot and root dry weights under saline regimes. The ecotype from the Salt Range accumulated relatively less amount of Na⁺ in the shoot than did that from Faisalabad, particularly at higher salt levels. Shoot or root K⁺ and Ca²⁺ contents varied inconsistently in both ecotypes under salt stress. All the photosynthetic parameters, leaf water potential and osmotic potential, and chlorophyll content in both ecotypes were adversely affected by salt stress, but all these physiological attributes except turgor potential and soluble sugars were less affected at high salinities in the salt tolerant ecotype from Salt Range. This ecotype accumulated significantly higher organic osmotica (total free amino acids, proline, total soluble proteins, and total soluble sugars) under saline conditions than its intolerant counterpart. Overall, the salt tolerant ecotype of C. dactylon from the Salt Range showed high salt tolerance due to its restricted uptake of Na⁺ accompanied by an increased uptake of K⁺ and Ca²⁺ in the roots as well as shoot due to its higher photosynthetic capacity and accumulation of organic osmotica such as free amino acids and proline under saline conditions.     

Vegetation Response to Lime and Manure Compost Amendments on Acid Lead/Zinc Mine Tailings: A Greenhouse Study

Land disturbed by mining in China is a serious problem and lead/zinc (Pb/Zn) mine tailings constitute the majority of the metal mine tailings produced in Guangdaong Province, China. A greenhouse study was therefore conducted to evaluate the effects of lime (40, 80, 120, and 160 t/ha) and manure compost (50 and 100 t/ha) amendment on the revegetation of the Pb/Zn mine tailings using Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda grass) and Agropyron elongatum (tall wheatgrass). The results showed that a combination of lime and manure compost amendment together with deionized water leachating was able to increase pH, reduce electrical conductivity and diethylenetraminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)‐extractable concentrations of Zn and Pb in tailings. Using 80 t/ha lime amendment with the supplement of fertilizer or manure compost was able to effectively improve germination of both C. dactylon and A. elongatum. The highest dry weight yields were obtained in tailings receiving 80 t lime/ha and 100 t manure compost/ha for both plant species. Plant tissue analysis showed that lime amendment at 120–160 t/ha reduced Zn accumulation in both shoot and root of C. dactylon. However, this trend was not observed for Pb.     

泥沙掩埋和干旱对三峡库区消落带狗牙根生长恢复的影响

三峡库区消落带植物恢复不仅面临长期淹水逆境,还面临泥沙、干旱等环境因素的胁迫。蓄水期后引种三峡库区消落带狗牙根,掩埋于不同粒径和埋深的沉降泥沙,探讨泥沙掩埋、干旱对反季节淹水后狗牙根出苗和生长恢复的影响。结果表明:在埋深≥8cm和粒径1.25 mm条件下消落带狗牙根萌发苗不能穿透覆盖层出苗。泥沙掩埋导致狗牙根出苗率显著降低,随着埋深增加狗牙根出苗率迅速下降;并且在埋深相同的条件下随着粒径减小狗牙根出苗速率呈增大趋势。随着埋深增加和粒径减小处理组株高、叶长的增长显著被抑制,处理组的株高、叶片数、叶长显著低于对照组。随着干旱、泥沙掩埋复合胁迫时间延长狗牙根分株株高、叶片数、叶长、叶宽的生长发育显著被抑制,且随着泥沙粒径减小和埋深增加其光合电子传递速率呈显著降低趋势,热耗散量显著增大。同时,干旱、泥沙掩埋复合胁迫导致处理组分株光合电子传递速率和热耗散能力显著低于对照组,光合作用能力显著降低,易受到夏季高光伤害。因此,三峡库区周年淹水导致狗牙根对泥沙掩埋以及干旱复合胁迫的耐受能力显著降低,在泥沙掩埋以及干旱复合胁迫下消落带狗牙根的生长恢复能力随粒径减小和埋深增加呈显著降低趋势,会导致库区消落带狗牙根种群衰退演替加快。     

Root development of bermudagrass and tall fescue as affected by cutting interval and growth regulators

A study was conducted to characterize changes in bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers.) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) root development over time and with depth, and to determine the effects of defoliation interval and chemical seedhead suppression on root and shoot growth. Field plots were established on a fine-silty, mixed mesic Typic Fragiudult soil in Fayetteville, AR, USA, and each plot contained three minirhizotrons (plexiglass observation tubes) to a depth of 40 cm. Images of roots in 10-cm depth increments were periodically videorecorded, and total root length (RL) and root length density (RLD) were measured with a computer-interfaced tracing probe. Treatments consisted of two cutting intervals, 3 and 6 weeks, and two plant growth regulator (PGR) treatments, an untreated control and either 300 g ha^-1 mefluidide on tall fescue in early spring of both years or 10 g ha^-1 each of metsulfuron methyl (MSM) and sulfometuron methyl (SMM) applied in late May of both post-establishment years. Data were analyzed separately for the establishment period (planting to the first date of PGR application) and the subsequent post-establishment period. Bermulagrass exhibited a two-stage root establishment pattern characterized first by minimal root development in conjunction with stolon proliferation and soil surface colonization, followed by accumulation of total RL over two subsequent forage production seasons. There was a net accumulation of root mass during the winter dormancy period of 1986–87. Total RL of tall fescue peaked one and a half years after planting. Cutting interval had no influence on RL and RLD. Application of a PGR did not affect RL but did alter RLD of both species. Application of mefluidide to tall fescue stimulated RLD 64 days after application, whereas bermudagrass RLD was retarded by MSM and SMM up to 50 days after application. Trends in root growth did not closely follow patterns of shoot growth. Published with the approval of the Director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. Published with the approval of the Director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.     

Effects of auxin concentration on induction and growth of embryogenic callus from young inflorescence explants of Old World bluestem (Bothriochloa spp.) and bermuda (Cynodon spp.) grasses

Objectives of this research were to test the effects of plant genotypes and auxin 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) medium concentrations on embryogenic (E) callus production of two grass species. Two Old World bluestem,Bothriochloa ischaemum, accessions (A-8793 and A-8911c) and three bermudagrass,Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., accessions (A-10978b, A12164, and Brazos) supplied the explant material. Immature inflorescences 9 mm in length were placed on modified Murashige-Skoog (MS) agar medium containing 0, 1, 3, or 5 mg L^-1 of 2,4-D. Explants of all genotypes produced callus by the end of a 4-week dark incubation period at 25°C. When subcultured onto fresh media and maintained at 25°C with a 16 hr photoperiod, calli became embryogenic within 8 weeks of inoculation. Three mg L^-1 of 2,4-D in the media maximized E callus production in both bluestem genotypes and in A-10978b and A-12164 bermudagrass genotypes. Maximum E callus production from Brazos bermudagrass resulted from the 1 mg L^-1 treatment. Somatic embryos developed after subculture under light. Embryos showed scutellum-like structures and coleoptile-coleorhiza bipolar organization. Plantlets were regenerated from all genotypes except Brazos, whose embryoids failed to germinate. All callus from Brazos eventually senesced. Light and scanning electron microscopy confirmed regeneration through somatic embryogenesis.