Water Pumping Activity of the Root System in the Process of Cross-Adaptation of Sunflower Plants to Hyperthermia and Water Deficiency

To elucidate the mechanisms of cross-adaptation, we investigated the effect of heat shock (HS, for 2 h at 45°C) on leaf tolerance to overheating and exudation by roots detached from 25–30-day old sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) plants. It was demonstrated that preheating enhanced considerably leaf tolerance and activated root exudation, especially under water deficiency produced by plant transfer to the hypertonic NaCl solution (17 mM). Under water deficiency conditions, the roots of HS-treated plants pumped water against the osmotic pressure (OP) gradient between the exudate and the external solution. Therefore, we concluded that this pumping was realized due to a metabolic (non-osmotic) constituent of root pressure. In the roots of plants that were not treated with HS, the OP gradient became positive. This fact implies that the HS-pretreatment of plants retarded the penetration of sodium and chlorine ions into roots. The data obtained demonstrate that HS induced a cross-adaptation of plants to high temperature and water deficiency. Such cross-adaptation involves, as an important component, an acceleration of water metabolism, including an enhanced water pumping activity of root system.     

植物对逆境交叉适应的分子机制

交叉适应(cross-adaptation)是植物应答复合逆境的主要表现形式,它涉及环境刺激、信号转导、基因表达及细胞代谢调节等.为明确交叉适应的分子机制,本文从活性氧、激素、促细胞分裂原激活性蛋白激酶等方面进行了综述,以深入系统地阐明植物对逆境的响应,为作物抗逆栽培提供经济、高效的途径.     

The Role of Perceptual and Structural Similarity in Cross-adaptation

Cross-adaptation, the decrease in sensitivity to one odorantfollowing exposure to a different odorant, is affected by odorantsimilarity, both perceptual and structural, but the preciserelationship is obscure. The present series of studies was designedto explore various aspects of perceptual and structural similarityas they relate to cross-adaptation. In Experiment 1, cross-adaptationwas assessed between androstenone and five odorants that sharea common urinous note with androstenone, but retain unique perceptualcharacteristics; only the compound judged most perceptuallysimilar to androstenone cross-adapted it. In Experiment 2, odorantsboth perceptually and structurally similar (androstenone andandrostanone) displayed significant, mutual cross-adaptation.Furthermore, magnitude estimates for androstanone were significantlyreduced following exposure to 3-methylidene-5a-androstane (3M5A),a structurally similar, perceptually odorless compound. Thisfinding appears to be the first demonstration that an odorlesscompound can affect, via cross-adaptation, the perception ofan odorous compound. Finally, in Experiment 3, significant,asymmetric cross-adaptation was observed between compounds thatare perceptually and structurally dissimilar (4-cyclohexylcyclohexanone[4-CHCH] and androstenone). These findings indicate that therole of similarity in cross-adaptation is difficult to quantifyand emphasize the numerous odorant characteristics that canaffect cross-adaptation. Chem. Senses 21: 223–237, 1996.     

Hydrogen Sulfide: A Novel Gaseous Molecule for Plant Adaptation to Stress

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) has emerged as a novel gaseous signal molecule with multifarious effects on seed germination, plant growth, development, and physiological processes. Due to its dominant role in plant stress tolerance and cross-adaptation, it is getting more attention nowadays, although it has been largely referred as toxic and environmental hazardous gas. In this review work, we are highlighting the importance of H₂S as an essential gaseous molecule to help in signaling, metabolism, and stress tolerance in plants. Firstly, production of H₂S from different natural and artificial sources were discussed with its transformation from sulfur (S) to sulfate (SO₄²⁻) and then to sulfite (SO₃²⁻). The importance of different kinds of transporters that helps to take SO₄²⁻ from the soil solution was presented. Mainly, these transporters are SULTRs (H⁺/SO₄²⁻ cotransporters) and multigene family encodes them. Furthermore, these SULTRs have LAST (Low affinity transport proteins), HAST (High affinity transport proteins), vacuole transporters, and plastid transporters. Since it is well known that there is strong relationship between SO₄²⁻ and synthesis of hydrogen sulfide or dihydrogen sulfide or sulfane in plant cells. Thus, cysteine (Cys) metabolism through which H₂S could be generated in plant cell with the role of different enzymes has been presented. Furthermore, H₂S in interaction with other molecules could help to mitigate biotic and abiotic stress. Based on this review work, it can be concluded that H₂S has potential to induce cross-adaptation to biotic and abiotic stress; thus, it is recommended that it should be considered in future studies to answer the questions like what are the receptors of H₂S in plant cell, where in plants the physiological concentration of H₂S is high in response to multiple stress and how it induces cross-adaptation by interaction with other signal molecules.

     

Effects of Temperature Acclimation Pretreatment on the Ultrastructure of Mesophyll Cells in Young Grape Plants (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Jingxiu) Under Cross-Temperature Stresses

Leaves from annual young grape plants (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Jingxiu) were used as experimentalmaterials. The ultrastructural characteristics of mesophyll cells in chilling-treated plants after heat acclima-tion (HA) and in heat-treated plants after cold acclimation (CA) were observed and compared using trans-mission electron microscopy. The results showed that slight injury appeared in the ultrastructure of meso-phyll cells after either HA (38℃ for 10 h) or CA (8℃ for 2.5 d), but the tolerance to subsequent extremetemperature stress was remarkably improved by HA or CA pretreatment. The increases in membrane perme-ability and malondialdehyde concentration under chilling (0℃) or heat (45℃) stress were markedly inhib-ited by HA or CA pretreatment. The mesophyll cells of plants not pretreated with HA were markedly dam-aged following chilling stress. The chloroplasts appeared irregular in shape, the arrangement of the stromalamellae was disordered, and no starch granules were present. The cristae of the mitochondria were dis-rupted and became empty. The nucleus became irregular in shape and the nuclear membrane was digested.In contrast, the mesophyll cells of HA-pretreated plants maintained an intact ultrastructure under chillingstress. The mesophyll cells of control plants were also severely damaged under heat stress. The chloroplastbecame round in shape, the stroma lamellae became swollen, and the contents of vacuoles formed clumps.In the case of mitochondria of control plants subjected to heat stress, the outer envelope was digested andthe cristae were disrupted and became many small vesicles. Compared with cellular organelles in controlplants, those in CA plant cells always maintained an integrated state during whole heat stress, except for thechloroplasts, which became round in shape after 10 h heat stress. From these data, we suggest that thestability of mesophyll cells under chilling stress can be increased by HA pretreatment. Similarly, CA pretreat-ment can protect chloroplasts, mitochondria, and the nucleus against subsequent heat stress; thus, thethermoresistance of grape seedlings was improved. The results obtained in the present study are the first,to our knowledge, to offered cytological evidence of cross-adaptation to temperature stresses in grapeplants.     

9. Stress physiology of forest trees: The role of plant growth regulators

Abiotic and biotic stresses elicit changes in normal physiology of trees. Plant growth regulators (PGR) are involved in the stress response and appear to have two roles: 1) to minimize the impact of the stress on the tree and; 2) to trigger stress resistance mechanisms. In the latter case the PGR-induced changes appear to enhance resistance to subsequent stress. This cross-adaptation to stress is important in trees.The role of PGRs in the physiological response to the abiotic stresses of water deficit, water excess, temperature, nutrition and mechanical perturbation is discussed along with cross-adaptation in the interactions of these stresses. Disease response and defense, and plant-plant communications involve PGRs and are topics covered with respect to biotic stress. Stress leads to early senescence and abscission in trees. These processes are controlled by PGRs and are briefly discussed.     

Cross-adaptation and molecular modeling study of receptor mechanisms common to four taste stimuli in humans

Psychophysical cross-adaptation experiments were performed with two carbohydrates, sucrose (SUC) and fructose (FRU), and two sweeteners, acesulfame-K (MOD) and dulcin (DUL). Seven subjects were asked to match concentrations that elicited the same intensity as a sucrose reference (30 g/l). Cross-adaptation levels were calculated as the ratio of isointense concentrations measured for a given stimulus before and under adaptation. On average, cross-adaptation between SUC and FRU is low and apparently reciprocal. By contrast, cross-adaptation between SUC and MOD is clearly non-reciprocal: SUC adapts MOD significantly (24%, P < 0.005), but MOD fails to adapt SUC (2%, P < 0.79). Significant and reciprocal cross-enhancement is observed between DUL and MOD (approximately -20%, P < 0.03), and also between SUC and DUL (approximately -15%, P < 0.08). In parallel, molecular modeling of the four tastants was performed in order to look for the 12 common binding motifs that were isolated on 14 other tastants in a previous study. SUC and FRU each display 10 out of the 12 binding motifs, whereas DUL and MOD only display four and five distinct motifs respectively and do not have any motif in common. Experimental cross-adaptation levels seem to correlate well with the number of motifs that molecules have in common. FRU and SUC share a majority of binding motifs and correlatively show mutual cross-adaptation. Four motifs of MOD are found among the 10 motifs of SUC, which may explain why SUC cross-adapts MOD but not vice versa. By contrast, DUL and MOD do not share any motif and do not cross- adapt. The various molecular mechanisms that may be responsible for cross-adaptation and/or cross-enhancement are discussed in light of our results.      

Abiotic stress tolerance in transgenic eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) by introduction of bacterial mannitol phosphodehydrogenase gene

In the present work, the bacterial mannitol-1-phosphodehydrogenase(mtlD) gene was introduced into eggplant(Solanummelongena L.) by Agrobacteriumtumefaciens-mediated transformation. Several transformants weregenerated and the transgene integration was confirmed by PCR, dot blot andSouthern blot analysis. Transgenic lines of T₀ and T₁generations were examined for tolerance to NaCl-induced salt stress,polyethylene glycol-mediated drought and chilling stress under bothinvitro and in vivo growth conditions. Aconsiderable proportions of transgenic seeds germinated and seedlings grew wellon 200 mM salt-amended MS basal medium, whereas seeds ofuntransformed control plants failed to germinate. Further, leaf explants fromthe transgenics could grow and showed signs of shoot regeneration onsalt-amended MS regeneration medium, whereas wild type did not respond, and infact the explants showed necrosis and loss of chlorophyll after about one week.The transgenic leaves could also withstand desiccation, and transgenics couldgrow well under chilling stress, and hydroponic conditions with salt stress ascompared to wild type plants. Thus, the transgenic lines were found to betolerant against osmotic stress induced by salt, drought and chilling stress.The morphology of the transgenic plants was normal as controls, but thechlorophyll content was higher in some of the lines. These observations suggestthat mtlD gene can impart abiotic stress tolerance ineggplant.     

Mutual cross-adaptation of the volatile steroid androstenone and a non-steroid perceptual analog

Self-and cross-adaptation are believed to result from stimulationof the same olfactory sensory channels. These adaptation phenomenawere studied after exposures to 5-androst-16-en-3-one (androstenone)and a synthetic perceptual analog (DMCMC), viz. a racemic mixtureof the isomers 4(R)-(4',4'-dimethyl-cyclohexyl)-2(R)-methylcyclohexanoneand 4(S)-(4',4'-dimethylcyclohexyl)-2(S)-methylcyclohexanone.In Experiment 1, six subjects very sensitive to androstenonereceived four randomized sequences of six concentrations offour ordants (androstenone, DMCMC, amyl acetate, and Galaxolide*;plus blanks) before and following adaptation to either androstenoneor DMCMC. Exposure to each odorant resulted in self-adaptation.Measures of stimulus intensity and identification thresholdrevealed reciprocal cross-adaptation between androstenone andDMCMC, but no cross-adaptation to amyl acetate or Galaxolide.The degree of cross-adaptation was asymmetric; adaptation toDMCMC resulted in more complete adaptation to androstenone thanvice versa. This asymmetry was apparently due to intensity differences;when stimuli were matched for intensity, the asymmetry disappeared(Experiment 2). These results demonstrate cross-adaptation forqualitatively similar, but not dissimilar, odors and suggestthat androstenone and its perceptual analog DMCMC share thesame sensory channels.     

Silicon modifies both a local response and a systemic response to mechanical stress in tobacco leaves

Both lignin and silicon (Si) are major players in the resistance of plants to mechanical stress (MS). Focusing on the phenolic metabolism, here we studied the short-term effects of a local MS on tobacco (Nicotiana rustica L. cv. Basmas) plants with Si (+Si, 1 mM Na₂SiO₃) and without Si (?Si) treatments in order to see how Si may modify local and systemic responses. One week after starting the Si treatment, a half of the plants were exposed to a mechanical pressure applying 980 Pa for 24 h on the upper side of the 3^rd leaf of each plant (+MS). The rest of the plants remained unstressed (?MS). Plants were harvested 24 h and 72 h after starting the MS and the leaves directly exposed to the mechanical stress (DMS) and those indirectly exposed to the mechanical stress (IMS) from below and above the DMS leaf were analyzed for phenolic metabolism along with the corresponding leaves from?MS plants. In the DMS leaf, the activities of polyphenol oxidase, phenylalanine ammonia lyase, and cytosolic and covalently-bound peroxidases increased by the MS, while decreased by Si. In accordance with this in the DMS leaf, the content of soluble and cell wall-bound phenolics and lignin were enhanced by the MS but decreased by Si. Interestingly, Si influenced the pattern of response to the MS depending on whether the leaves were directly treated by the MS or not. Silicon treatment augmented MS-induced lignin accumulation in the DMS leaf while rather inhibited lignin formation in the IMS leaves. These data show that Si modified MS-mediated changes in the phenolic metabolism differently in local and systemic leaves.     

Differential Chloroplast Proteomics of Temperature Adaptation in Apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.) Microshoots

Temperature stress is one of the most common external factors that plants have to adapt to. Accordingly, plants have developed several adaptation mechanisms to deal with temperature stress. Chloroplasts are one of the organelles that are responsible for the sensing of the temperature signal and triggering a response. Here, chloroplasts are purified from low temperature (4° C), control (22° C) and high temperature (30° C) grown Malus x domestica microshoots. The purity of the chloroplast fractions is evaluated by marker proteins, as well as by using in silico subcellular localization predictions. The proteins are digested using filter‐aided sample processing and analyzed using nano‐LC MS/MS. 733 proteins are observed corresponding to published Malus x domestica gene models and 16 chloroplast genome ‐encoded proteins in the chloroplast preparates. In ANOVA, 56 proteins are found to be significantly differentially abundant (p < 0.01) between chloroplasts isolated from plants grown in different conditions. The differentially abundant proteins are involved in protein digestion, cytoskeleton structure, cellular redox state and photosynthesis, or have protective functions. Additionally, a putative chloroplastic aquaporin is observed. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD014212.     

植物对机械刺激的响应及信号转导

机械刺激是一种广泛存在但却长期被忽视的环境胁迫因子。由于其营固于土壤的生活习性,植物在其整个生命过程中都不同程度地遭受着机械刺激的胁迫,它影响着植物的生长发育、形态建成、抗逆性的形成等。本文结合我们实验室的研究成果及国内外的研究进展,综述了植物对机械刺激的响应、机械刺激在细胞内诱发的信号事件、各种信号之间的信号交谈及基因表达,并对未来的研究方向提出了展望。     

Gustatory responses of eel palatine receptors to amino acids and carboxylic acids

The gustatory receptors of the eel palate were found to be extremely sensitive to amino acids and carboxylic acids. The results obtained are as follows: (a) 11 amino acids which are among naturally occurring amino acids elicited responses in the palatine nerve, but 9 amino acids did not elicit a response even at a high concentration. The effect of D-amino acids was always much less than that of their corresponding L-isomers. There was no appreciable difference in the effectiveness of an alpha-amino acid (alpha-alanine) and beta-amino acid (beta-alanine). (b) The threshold concentrations of the most potent amino acids (arginine, glycine) were between 10(-8) and 10(-9) M. A linear relation between the magnitude of the response and log stimulus concentration held for a wide concentration range for all the amino acids examined. (c) The palatine receptors responded sensitively to various carboxylic acid solutions whose pH was adjusted to neutral. The threshold concentrations varied between 10(-4) and 10(-7) M. The magnitude of the response at 10(-2) M increased with an increase of carbon chain length. (d) The extent of cross-adaptation was examined with various combinations of amino acids. A variety of the response patterns showing complete cross-adaptation, no cross-adaptation, or synergetic interaction was observed. The synergetic interaction was also observed when one amino acid below its threshold concentration was added to the other amino acid below its threshold concentration was added to the other amino acid. No cross-adaptation was observed between amino acids and fatty acids. (e) The treatment of the palate with papain led to loss of the responses to arginine, glycine, and histidine without affecting those to proline and acetic acid. The treatment with pronase E eliminated selectively the response to proline. The possibility that the eel gustatory receptors are responsible for sensing food at a distance was discussed.     

Metallothioneins are required for formation of cross-adaptation response to neurobehavioral toxicity from lead and mercury exposure in nematodes

Metallothioneins (MTs) are small, cysteine-rich polypeptides, but the role of MTs in inducing the formation of adaptive response is still largely unknown. We investigated the roles of metallothionein genes (mtl-1 and mtl-2) in the formation of cross-adaptation response to neurobehavioral toxicity from metal exposure in Caenorhabditis elegans. Pre-treatment with mild heat-shock at L2-larva stage effectively prevented the formation of the neurobehavioral defects and the activation of severe stress response in metal exposed nematodes at concentrations of 50 and 100 μM, but pre-treatment with mild heat-shock did not prevent the formation of neurobehavioral defects in 200 μM of metal exposed nematodes. During the formation of cross-adaptation response, the induction of mtl-1 and mtl-2 promoter activity and subsequent GFP gene expression were sharply increased in 50 μM or 100 μM of metal exposed Pmtl-1::GFP and Pmtl-2::GFP transgenic adult animals after mild heat-shock treatment compared with those treated with mild heat-shock or metal exposure alone. Moreover, after pre-treatment with mild heat-shock, no noticeable increase of locomotion behaviors could be observed in metal exposed mtl-1 or mtl-2 mutant nematodes compared to those without mild heat-shock pre-treatment. The defects of adaptive response to neurobehavioral toxicity induced by metal exposure formed in mtl-1 and mtl-2 mutants could be completely rescued by the expression of mtl-1 and mtl-2 with the aid of their native promoters. Furthermore, over-expression of MTL-1 and MTL-2 at the L2-larval stage significantly suppressed the toxicity on locomotion behaviors from metal exposure at all examined concentrations. Therefore, the normal formation of cross-adaptation response to neurobehavioral toxicity induced by metal exposure may need the enough accumulation of MTs protein in animal tissues.     

Sensitivity to chemically diverse phagostimulants in a single gustatory neuron of a polyphagous caterpillar

Caterpillars of the arctiid moth, Grammia geneura, are polyphagous, but species of Plantago are amongst their preferred food plants. A neuron in the medial styloconic sensillum on the galea has been shown to have a general phagostimulatory function. Experiments with binary mixtures and cross-adaptation have demonstrated that it responds to some sugars, to several amino acids, and also to catalpol. Catalpol is a plant secondary compound in Plantago and a phagostimulant for the caterpillars. The possible significance of combining sensitivity to nutrient compounds with sensitivity to a secondary compound is discussed. Accepted: 7 October 1999     

Reproductive allocation and resource compensation in male-sterile and hermaphroditic plants of Plantago lanceolata (Plantaginaceae)

Gynodioecy is a breeding system in which hermaphrodites coexist with male steriles. Theoretical models predict that without any compensation in female fitness male steriles will disappear from a population due to their reproductive disadvantage. In the present study I investigated whether male-sterile (MS), partially male-sterile (IN), and hermaphroditic (H) plants of Plantago lanceolata differed in reproductive growth and allocation. Offspring of three interpopulation crosses segregating all three sex morphs were grown under nitrogen-limited conditions in a growth chamber. Independent of the genetic background MS plants attained a higher vegetative and reproductive dry mass and a higher reproductive output than H plants, whereas IN plants had intermediate values. When corrected for the mass of the pollen, the dry mass differences between the sex morphs were much reduced but still present. However, when whole-plant allocation was expressed on the basis of nitrogen, the differences between the sex morphs disappeared. Thus the sex morphs took up similar amounts of nitrogen but distributed them differently. The MS and IN plants used the nitrogen saved by not producing pollen for additional vegetative as well as reproductive growth. The data presented in this study suggest that resource compensation is one of the main mechanisms responsible for the maintenance of MS and IN plants in gynodioecious P. lanceolata.     

水分胁迫和复水对石灰岩地区柏木幼苗根系生长的影响

利用适生植物自身的抗旱能力来进行石灰岩地区植被的恢复和重建是石灰岩生态研究中的重要问题.为了解石灰岩山地适生物种柏木对水分胁迫的适应机制,以柏木实生苗为材料,通过盆栽水分受控实验,研究了其根系生长特性及复水后的修复能力.结果表明:在水分胁迫程度不大、历时不长的情况下,水分胁迫有诱导根系下扎的趋势,复水后,根长在原有的基础上进一步伸长.随着胁迫的加剧和胁迫时间的延长,柏木幼苗的根长、根平均直径、根表面积和根体积等根系大小参数均呈降低趋势,以采取小根系来增强竞争力.复水后,除重度干旱外,其余处理组根系大小参数都能恢复到对照水平,补偿作用与胁迫程度有关.一定程度的水分胁迫对柏木幼苗的茎叶生长没有产生影响,而对根的抑制作用明显,根冠比降低,但胁迫程度加剧和历时延长后,柏木幼苗的根冠比有增大的趋势.柏木幼苗在水分胁迫较轻时把较多的碳水化合物分配到茎叶中,而胁迫严重时把较多的碳水化合物分配到根部.复水促进根、冠干物质的积累,但不同的胁迫程度和胁迫时间促进作用不同.