Growth,sugar accumulation,and dark respiration of suspension cell cultures derived from contrasting alfalfa cultivars

Fall dormancy results in decumbent, slow shoot growth of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in autumn and reduced shoot regrowth rates after herbage removal in summer. Although fall dormancy is used to predict alfalfa adaptation, we possess a poor understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying fall dormancy. Our objective was to examine growth and carbohydrate metabolism of suspension cell cultures derived from contrasting alfalfa cultivars that genetically differed in fall dormancy. Suspension cells were grown in B5h media containing 2% sucrose. Cells derived from fall non-dormant plants accumulated sugars more rapidly after transfer to fresh media and to higher concentrations than did cells derived from fall dormant alfalfa cultivars. Dark respiration rates of cells derived from non-dormant plants were similar to those derived from fall dormant plants when growth was limited at low cell sugar concentrations. However, both cell growth and dark respiration rates increased in cells derived from non-dormant cultivars in response to greater cell sugar concentrations. High growth rates of cells derived from rapid growing, fall non-dormant alfalfa cultivars were associated with rapid sugar uptake and higher cell respiration rates when compared to cells derived from dormant alfalfa cultivars.     

Restriction endonuclease studies on the chloroplast and mitochondrial DNAs of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) protoclones

Summary Alfalfa protoclones were regenerated from the mesophyll protoplasts of two cloned source plants (parents), RS-K1 and RS-K2, initiated from Regen S seed. Because of the high frequency of karyotypic upset previously observed in these plants, chloroplast DNAs (cpDNA) from 23 protoclones and mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNA) from 20 protoclones were examined by restriction endonuclease analysis in order to assess recombination in their cytoplasmic genomes. Seven and four endonucleases were separately used for cpDNA and mtDNA analysis, respectively. Data were consistent with no, or a low frequency of, major sequence rearrangements in either the chloroplast or the mitochondrial genomes as a result of protocloning. However, two types of cpDNA were detected in the 23 protoclones, with only one protoclone possessing the cpDNA type of the cloned parental populations sampled. Possible explanations include a preferential selection during protocloning for one of two parental cpDNA types, an in planta sorting out of cpDNA types in the parental material or both.     

Microgametophytic selection in two alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) clones

Summary Microgametophytic selection was investigated using two ecologically diverse autotetraploid clones of alfalfa. Several selection pressures (drying, aging, freezing, and high and low temperatures) were applied to microgametophytes at three stages of the life cycle, 1) during microsporogenesis, 2) post-anthesis, and 3) pollen tube growth. Pollen aging produced a progeny population with a greater mean plant size and a lower coefficient of variation than the control progeny. High temperature (29.5 °C) applied both during microsporogenesis and pollen tube growth resulted in progeny populations which were significantly taller and, in one case, had a larger leaf number than the control populations. In contrast, air dried pollen resulted in a progeny population which had significantly smaller character means and larger coefficients of variation than the control population. Also, low temperature (15 °C) during pollen tube growth yielded progeny with reduced branch number and a larger coefficient of variation than the control progeny. In cases where progeny derived from selected microgametophytes were found to differ from the control offspring, corresponding shifts in the reciprocal cross were not observed. For the temperature stress treatments, the lack of reciprocal differences may be related to the different temperature adaptations of the two ecotypes. These results suggest that microgametophytic selection can be effective in shifting the mean of the progeny generation; however, the results obtained will vary depending upon the selection pressure, stage of selection, and the parents used.     

Fine root demography in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

In perennial forages like alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), repeated herbage removal may alter root production and mortality which, in turn, could affect deposition of fixed N in soil. Our objective was to determine the extent and patterns of fine-diameter root production and loss during the year of alfalfa stand establishment. The experiment was conducted on a loamy sand soil (Udorthentic Haploboroll) in Minnesota, USA, using horizontally installed minirhizotrons placed directly under the seeded rows at 10, 20, and 40 cm depths in four replicate blocks. We seeded four alfalfa germplasms that differed in N₂ fixation capacity and root system architecture: Agate alfalfa, a winter hardy commercially-available cultivar; Ineffective Agate, which is a non-N₂-fixing near isoline of Agate; a new germplasm that has few fibrous roots and strong tap-rooted traits; and a new germplasm that has many fibrous roots and a strongly branched root system architecture. Video images collected biweekly throughout the initial growing season were processed using C-MAP-ROOTS software.More than one-half of all fine roots in the upper 20 cm were produced during the first 7 weeks of growth. Root production was similar among germplasms, except that the highly fibrous, branch-rooted germplasm produced 29% more fine roots at 20 cm than other germplasms. In all germplasms, about 7% of the fine roots at each depth developed into secondarily thickened roots. By the end of the first growing season, greatest fine root mortality had occurred in the uppermost depth (48%), and least occurred at 40 cm (36%). Survival of contemporaneous root cohorts was not related to soil depth in a simple fashion, although all survivorship curves could be described using only five rates of exponential decline. There was a significant reduction in fine root mortality before the first herbage harvest, followed by a pronounced loss (average 22%) of fine roots at the 10- and 20-cm depths in the 2-week period following herbage removal. Median life spans of these early-season cohorts ranged from 58 to 131 days, based on fitted exponential equations. At all depths, fine roots produced in the 4 weeks before harvest (early- to mid-August) tended to have shorter median life spans than early-season cohorts. Similar patterns of fine root mortality did not occur at the second harvest. Germplasms differed in the pattern, but not the ultimate extent, of fine root mortality. Fine root turnover during the first year of alfalfa establishment in this experiment released an estimated 830 kg C ha^–1 and 60 kg N ha^–1, with no differences due to N₂ fixation capacity or root system architecture.     

Media and genotype effects on the development and conversion of somatic alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) embryos

Summary Various preconditioning treatments of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) somatic embryos to improve embryo quality and conversion were studied. Four different regenerating genotypes were compared. Embryogenic cultures were established in liquid culture. Globular embryos were collected and plated on an embryo development medium until they reached cotyledonary stage. They were then exposed to three treatments: a standard embryo development medium (control), media supplementation with 1 μM abscisic acid (ABA), 50 mM glutamine and 5% sucrose (T), additional supplementation with 50 μM ABA (TT), and additional supplementation followed by desiccation (TTD). Treatments affected embryo conversion, but not uniformly for all genotypes. Embryo conversion was increased (P<0.05) by pretreatment (T), while only one exhibited any response to additional ABA (T vs. TT). Desiccation decreased (P<0.05) conversion of pretreated embryos (TT vs. TTD) of all genotypes. The effect of treatments on plantlet weight was less pronounced and inconsistent across genotypes.     

Utilization of carbon and nitrogen reserves of alfalfa roots in supporting N2-fixation and shoot regrowth

Perennial legume such as alfalfa have the capacity to sustain shoot regrowth and some nodule N₂-fixation after removal (cutting) of shoots which contain practically all of the plant's photosynthetic capacity. The role of the roots in supporting these processes has not been fully described. Measurements were made of the nodules' responses to removal of shoots from 8-week-old seedlings in terms of N₂-fixation, as nitrogenase activity (NA) measured as acetylene reduction, dark CO₂ fixation, measured as in vitro phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) activity, and total non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) content. These properties decreased and recovered in that sequence, which suggests that nodule NSC supported the substrate requirements of NA and PEPC immediately after cutting. The utilization and redistribution or root carbon and nitrogen, prelabeled with ¹⁴C and ¹⁵N, were also followed after cutting 8-week-old alfalfa seedlings. In the first 2 weeks of regrowth 12% of root C and 25% of root N were transferred for incorporation into new shoots. Up to 40% of the root C was used for plant respiration to support 28 days of shoot regrowth and N₂-fixation. The decline of N₂-fixation was slower after cutting and its minimum activity rose up 45% of pre-cut activity as root reserves were built up with plant age. Therefore, the stored reserves of nodulated roots play an important role in support of N₂-fixation after cutting.Contribution No. 1265 from Plant Research Center.Contribution No. 1265 from Plant Research Center.     

Nitrogen release from roots of alfalfa and soybean grown in sand culture

An enclosed root chamber containing sterile sand medium was used to study net nitrogen (N) release from actively growing root systems of ‘Saranac’ alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and ‘Fiskeby V’ soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.). Plants were inoculated with a rhizobial strain appropriate to each host, irrigated with N-free nutrient solution, and grown either to 85 or to 173 d after germination (alfalfa) or to physiological maturity (soybean). Alfalfa released 4.5% of symbiotically-fixed plant N into the root zone over its growth period; soybean released 10.4% of plant N. Root zone leachates were analyzed for total N and for amino acid and ammonium content. Significant ammonium-N release occurred from the alfalfa but not the soybean root system; little amino-N was released by root systems of either species. Shoot harvest and water deficit caused increased release of N from alfalfa roots. The results provide evidence that alfalfa and soybean released significant proportions of their N into the root zone, and indicate that while substantial ammonium-N was released from alfalfa roots, passive leakage of amino-N was not a primary mechanism for N release from root systems of either species. Cooperative investigation of USDA-ARS and the Minnesota Agric. Exp. Stn. (Scientific J. Series No. 16048). This research was supported in part by a Graduate School Fellowship to LSB from the Univ. of Minnesota.     

Comparisons of alfalfa somaclonal and sexual derivatives from the same genetic source

Summary Tetraploid alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) clones were derived from the same diploid genetic background by four different methods. A phenotypically superior clone was selected from each method and compared for herbage yield and fertility. The four methods and their best clones were: a) In vitro somatic chromosome doubling of one diploid hybrid (HG2-4x); b) selection within a two allele tetraploid synthetic population derived from HG2-4x (HAG); c) somaclonal variant selection from cell suspension culture of the diploid hybrid (NS1); and d) sexual polyploidization of a sibling hybrid (HXG). Clones HG2-4x, HAG, and NS1 were likely diallelic or monoallelic at all loci. Clone HXG was probably tetrallelic or triallelic at most loci. Experiments measured fertility, clonal herbage yield, and herbage yield of test cross progeny for each selected clone. Fertility rankings were HXG = HAG > NS1 > HG2-4x. Clonal herbage yield rankings were HXG = HAG > NS1 > HG2-4x. Test cross progeny herbage yield rankings varied depending on the tester, but, in general, HXG HAG NS1 HG2-4x. Overall the best clones from the sexual methods exceeded the best somaclonal variant which, in turn, was better than the chromosome doubled clone.     

Kanamycin-resistant alfalfa has a point mutation in the 16S plastid rRNA

Genes conferring resistance to kanamycin are frequently used to obtain transgenic plants as spontaneous resistance to kanamycin is not known to exist in higher plants. Nevertheless, mutations conferring kanamycin resistance have been identified in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, raising the question as to why kanamycin-resistant mutants have not been found in higher plants. While attempting plastid transformation of alfalfa, we obtained non-transgenic but kanamycin-resistant somatic embryos following 2 months of culture in the presence of 50 mg l^–1 kanamycin. Sequencing of the plastid DNA region corresponding to the decoding site of the 16S rRNA in ten independent resistant events revealed an A to C transversion at position 1357 of the 16S plastid rDNA, the same site at which an A to G conversion confers kanamycin resistance to C. reinhardtii by reducing the ability of the antibiotic to bind to its target site. All plants derived from the resistant embryos through additional cycles of somatic embryogenesis in the absence of kanamycin retained the mutant phenotype, suggesting that the mutation was homoplastomic. Resistant plants produced 85% less biomass than controls; their leaves were chlorotic during early development and over time slowly turned green. The absence of kanamycin- resistant mutants in higher plants might be explained by the requirement for a regeneration system capable of resulting in homoplastomic individuals, or it may be the result of the detrimental effect of the mutation on the phenotype.Communicated by C.F. Quiros     

Molecular divergence of alfalfa somaclones

Summary Plantlets were regenerated from alfalfa callus following passage through a tissue culture medium which contained gibberellic acid. A proportion of these plantlets showed obvious morphological variations. Leaflet, stem and petiole tissue of these plants were extracted to yield a soluble protein homogenate which was characterized by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Over 18 individual protein bands were resolved and visualized by staining with coomassie blue G250. Electrophoretic gels from regenerated plantlets and from the parent plant were scanned spectrophotometrically and analyzed. The relative quantity of each of the proteins resolved from plants was correlated with proteins of other plants via the Pearson's product-moment correlation. Cluster analysis was then performed using these correlation coefficients to judge relatedness among somaclones and the parent plant. Two of 22 somaclones (9.1%) differed significantly from the parent and from the other somaclones judged by quantitative protein pattern variations. Three distinctive lineages through tissue culture produced plantlets. Using a discriminant analysis strategy somaclones could be grouped according to lineage with 80.8% accuracy based upon distinctions between protein electrophoretic patterns. Two of the somaclone lineage groupings showed no overlap with the parental grouping which indicated significant molecular divergence of these plantlets as judged by quantitative protein differences.     

Growth and nutrient concentrations of alfalfa and common bean as influenced by soil acidity

Growth and nutrient utilization of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. cv. Arc) and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Carioca) were studied in an acid soil adjusted to eight levels of soil acidity by lime addition. Application of lime significantly (P<0.05) increased shoot and root growth for both species. However, common bean was far less sensitive to soil acidity than alfalfa. Maximum alfalfa growth was obtained at a soil pH of 5.8 and maximum bean growth was achieved at pH 5.0. Root and shoot growth of both legumes was positively correlated (P<0.01) with soil pH, exchangeable Ca and exchangeable Mg and negatively correlated (P<0.01) with soil exchangeable Al. Common bean had a lower internal P requirement for maximum growth and was more efficient than alfalfa in taking up Ca and Mg. These characteristics would contribute to the favorable growth of common bean in acid-infertile soils.     

Direct assessment of symbiotically fixed nitrogen in the rhizosphere of alfalfa

Rhizodeposition has been proposed as one mechanism for the accumulation of significant amounts of N in soil during legume growth. The objective of this experiment was to directly quantify losses of symbiotically fixed N from living alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) roots to the rhizosphere. We used ¹⁵N-labeled N₂ gas to tag recently fixed N in three alfalfa lines [cv. Saranac, Ineffective Saranac (an ineffectively nodulated line), and an unnamed line in early stages of selection for apparent N excretion] growing in 1-m long polyvinylchloride drainage lysimeters in loamy sand soil in a greenhouse. Plants were in the late vegetative to flowering growth stage during the 2-day labelling period. We determined the fate of this fixed N in various plant organs and soil after a short equilibration period (2 to 4 days) and after one regrowth period (35 to 37 days). Extrapolated N₂ fixation rates (46 to 77g plant^–1 h^–1) were similar to rates others have measured in the field. Although there was significant accretion of total N in rhizosphere compared to bulk soil, less than 1% was derived from newly fixed N and there were no differences between the excreting line and Saranac. Loss of N in percolate water was small. These results provide the first direct evidence that little net loss of symbiotically-fixed N occurs from living alfalfa roots into surrounding soil. In addition, these results confirm our earlier findings, which depended on indirect ¹⁵N labelling techniques. Net N accumulation in soil during alfalfa growth is likely due to other processes, such as decomposition of roots, nodules, and above ground litter, rather than to N excretion from living roots and nodules.     

Germination salt resistance of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) germplasm in relation to subspecies and centers of diversity

Saline soils and water severely limit the productivity of crop and pasture lands in semiarid and arid environments. The breeding of salt resistant cultivars of some crops is a partial solution to this problem. To breed for increased salt resistance, scientists must characterize the potentials and limitations of germplasm resources. This study measured the salt resistance of 761 alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. Emend. Sensu Lato) plant introduction accessions to NaCl during germination and characterized the resistance by subspecies, country of origin, and center of diversity. Experiments indicated that germplasm from the arid Indian and African centers excelled in NaCl resistance during germination. Germplasm from the Falcata center was least resistant. M. sativa L. subsp. sativa was more than twice as resistant as M. sativa L. subsp. ambigua or subsp. falcata. Thus, more resistant germplasm potentially adapted to the warm desert regions is available than resistant germplasm better suited to alfalfa production in more temperate regions. Joint contribution of the USDA-Agricultural Research Service and the Utah Agricultural Experimental Station Journal Paper no. 3782. Joint contribution of the USDA-Agricultural Research Service and the Utah Agricultural Experimental Station Journal Paper no. 3782.     

Nitrogen-fixing characteristics of alfalfa cultivars nodulated by representatives of an indigenousRhizobium meliloti serogroup

Studies were conducted to evaluate whether field-grown cultivars of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) nodulate differentially with members of a soil population ofRhizobium meliloti, and to determine the influence of the dominant nodule occupants on N₂-dependent growth of the same cultivars under greenhouse conditions. Nodules were sampled from four replicate plots of Vernal, Anchor, and Saranac alfalfa, and the isolates analysed serologically. Results from agglutination tests identified serogroup 31 as a dominant nodule occupant. A significant cultivar effect was observed, with a greater and more consistent occupancy rate by serogroup 31 across the replicates on Vernal (60%) compared to Anchor (24%) or Saranac (36%). The symbiotic effectiveness of the parent isolate of serogroup 31 was evaluated on each cultivar over four successive harvests in a greenhouse study. Significant cultivar x N source interactions for herbage dry weight resulted following the second harvest. Of the three cultivars, only inoculated Vernal responded with an increase in shoot dry weight and N₂ assimilated relative to N supplemented plants between harvests two and three. In separate greenhouse experiments, field isolates of serogroup 31 from nodules on Vernal produced homogeneous, effective responses both on Vernal and Anchor. In contrast, serogroup 31 field isolates from Anchor nodules were highly heterogeneous in effectiveness on the parent host, with poorly effective isolates being substantially more effective on Vernal. The data indicate that attention should be given to the potential impact of the indigenousR. meliloti population upon cultivar ranking at specific field locations, and also to strain-cultivar idiosyncracies when carrying out physiological sutidies of regrowth characteristics.Technical Paper No. 8716 of the Oregon State University Agricultural Experiment Station.     

Dissolution of ferric phosphate by alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) root exudates

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) was grown in hydroponic culture to investigate adaptation to Fe-deficiency. Root exudates released into the nutrient solution from Fe-deficient plants were trapped and condensed on an amberlite XAD-4 resin column. The diethyl ether fraction of these exudates dissolved ferric phosphate remarkably. The dissolving capability was about 62 times higher than that of root exudates obtained from Fe-sufficient plants in complete nutrient solution. The Fe-dissolving compound was separated and identified. It was a new natural compound with molecular formula C₁₄H₁₀O₅ and was identified as 2-(3,5-dihydroxyphenyl)-5,6-dihydroxybenzofuran by means of mass spectrometry and ¹H-nuclear magnetic resonance. This new compound worked as a phytoalexin and inhibited completely the fungal growth of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. phaseoli.     

Hairy root transformation in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

Summary The widely cultivated forage legume alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) was transformed with the agropine type Agrobacterium rhizogenes NCPPB 1855. Sterile root and callus cultures were derived from tumorous hairy roots which were easily obtained independent of the plant variety or genotype. Plant regeneration, via somatic embryogenesis, was achieved only when a selected alfalfa line, characterized by high regenerative capability, was utilized. Genetic transformation was confirmed by the presence of agropine and T-DNA. Phenotypic alterations, mainly affecting the root system, were observed in transformed plants. The possibility that T-DNA-induced variations could be useful in the improvement of M. sativa is discussed.Research work was partially supported by Progetto Strategico Agrobiotecnologia C.N.R., Italy     

Bacterial citrate synthase expression and soil aluminum tolerance in transgenic alfalfa

Alfalfa is very sensitive to soil acidity and its yield and stand duration are compromised due to inhibited root growth and reduced nitrogen fixation caused by Al toxicity. Soil improvement by liming is expensive and only partially effective, and conventional plant breeding for Al tolerance has had limited success. Because tobacco and papaya plants overexpressing Pseudomonas aeruginosa citrate synthase (CS) have been reported to exhibit enhanced tolerance to Al, alfalfa was engineered by introducing the CS gene controlled by the Arabidopsis Act2 constitutive promoter or the tobacco RB7 root-specific promoter. Fifteen transgenic plants were assayed for exclusion of Al from the root tip, for internal citrate content, for growth in in vitro assays, or for shoot and root growth in either hydroponics or in soil assays. Overall, only the soil assays yielded consistent results. Based on the soil assays, two transgenic events were identified that were more aluminum-tolerant than the non-transgenic control, confirming that citrate synthase overexpression can be a useful tool to help achieve aluminum tolerance. Pierluigi Barone and Daniele Rosellini contributed equally to this work.