Spatial pattern of long-distance symplasmic transport and communication in trees

Symplasmic short- and long-distance communication may be regulated at different levels of plant body organization. It depends on cell-to-cell transport modulated by plasmodesmata conductivity and frequency but above all on morphogenetic fields that integrate a plant at the supracellular level. Their control of physiological and developmental processes is especially important in trees, where the continuum consists of 3-dimensional systems of: 1) stem cells in cambium, and 2) living parenchyma cells in the secondary conductive tissues. We found that long-distance symplasmic transport in trees is spatially regulated. Uneven distribution of fluorescent tracer in cambial cells along the branches examined illustrates an unknown intrinsic phenomenon that can possibly be important for plant organism integration. Here we illustrate the spatial dynamics of symplasmic transport in cambium, test and exclude the role of callose in its regulation, and discuss the mechanism that could possibly be responsible for the maintenance of this spatial pattern.     

Caged probes: a novel tool in studying symplasmic transport in plant tissues

Summary. Caged probes offer a novel approach to study plant cell-to-cell communication. Instead of introducing fluorescent molecules into cells by microinjection, their caged counterparts can be preloaded into the tissue by diffusion. Following spatially controlled photoactivation, movement of the uncaged fluorochrome can be followed in time and direction by confocal laser scanning microscopy. In the onion bulb scale epidermis used as a model system, symplasmic transport of the tracer out of a target cell was followed. Transport via the symplasmic pathway was challenged by plasmolysing the tissue. The experiments confirmed the symplasmic nature of tracer transport.Correspondence and reprints: Department of Plant Biology, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C. Denmark. E-mail: hjm@kvl.dk     

Symplastic Phloem Loading in Poplar

Sap is driven through phloem sieve tubes by an osmotically generated pressure gradient between source and sink tissues. In many plants, source pressure results from thermodynamically active loading in which energy is used to transfer sucrose (Suc) from mesophyll cells to the phloem of leaf minor veins against a concentration gradient. However, in some species, almost all trees, correlative evidence suggests that sugar migrates passively through plasmodesmata from mesophyll cells into the sieve elements. The possibility of alternate loading mechanisms has important ramifications for the regulation of phloem transport and source-sink interactions. Here, we provide experimental evidence that, in gray poplar (Populus tremula × Populus alba), Suc enters the phloem through plasmodesmata. Transgenic plants were generated with yeast invertase in the cell walls to prevent Suc loading by this route. The constructs were driven either by the constitutive 35S promoter or the minor vein-specific galactinol synthase promoter. Transgenic plants grew at the same rate as the wild type without symptoms of loading inhibition, such as accumulation of carbohydrates or leaf chlorosis. Rates of photosynthesis were normal. In contrast, alfalfa (Medicago sativa) plants, which have limited numbers of plasmodesmata between mesophyll and phloem, displayed typical symptoms of loading inhibition when transformed with the same DNA constructs. The results are consistent with passive loading of Suc through plasmodesmata in poplar. We also noted defense-related symptoms in leaves of transgenic poplar when the plants were abruptly exposed to excessively high temperatures, adding to evidence that hexose is involved in triggering the hypersensitive response.In the mid-1930s, several laboratories discovered that sugar concentrations are higher in the phloem than in mesophyll cells, where the sugar is synthesized (Crafts, 1961). These findings led to the concept of thermodynamically active phloem loading, in which Suc and other transport compounds are transferred into the sieve tubes against a concentration gradient. The idea was rapidly accepted, in part because it was consistent with the pressure flow hypothesis proposed earlier by Münch (1930). Münch (1930) had suggested that sap is propelled through the sieve tubes by a pressure gradient between the leaves (sources) and sinks (Patrick, 2012; De Schepper et al., 2013; Stroock et al., 2014), and because elevated solute levels increase hydrostatic pressure, it was reasonable to assume that the energy used to load the phloem generates the pressure at the source end of the transport stream needed to drive long-distance transport.However, it is important to note that the hypothesis by Münch (1930) predated the discovery of active phloem loading. Münch (1930) assumed that the upstream pressure is generated in the mesophyll cells and not the phloem and that carbohydrate is carried passively from the mesophyll into the sieve tubes (Münch, 1930). The two hypotheses, active and passive loading, lead to different perspectives on several important aspects of phloem physiology, including the regulated entry of ionic and molecular species into the transport system and the mechanisms of source-sink signaling.We provide evidence here that phloem loading of Suc in poplar (Populus tremula × Populus alba) is passive, as envisioned by Münch (1930). The reason for choosing poplar for study is that there is correlative evidence consistent with a passive loading mechanism in this species. First, the mesophyll cells and minor vein phloem of poplar are linked by plasmodesmata that are much more dense than those at the same interfaces in plants known to load through the apoplast (Russin and Evert, 1985). Second, the osmotic potential of the sieve element-companion cell complex in the minor veins, estimated by plasmolysis, is lower than commonly found in herbaceous plants and in the same range as that of the mesophyll cells (Russin and Evert, 1985). In species that load actively, the osmotic potential in the phloem is generally, but not always, well above that in the photosynthetic cells.Although these data are suggestive, they are only correlative and for several reasons, inconclusive (see “Discussion”). In the studies reported here, we experimentally tested the hypothesis of passive loading in poplar by introducing yeast invertase to the apoplast of transgenic plants. Invertase in the cell walls inhibits apoplastic loading by hydrolyzing Suc en route to the phloem (von Schaewen et al., 1990; Dickinson et al., 1991; Heineke et al., 1992). For comparison, we conducted the same experiments on alfalfa (Medicago sativa), which on the basis of low plasmodesmata numbers in the minor vein phloem (Gamalei, 1991), loads from the apoplast. Invertase-expressing alfalfa exhibited well-documented symptoms of loading inhibition: elevated foliar sugar and starch, leaf chlorosis, and slow growth. In contrast, transgenic poplar grew normally and accumulated little, if any, excess sugar and starch in the leaves, and it did so even under high light conditions, where sugar synthesis is most active and the loading mechanism is most challenged. The results are consistent with passive, symplastic (through plasmodesmata) phloem loading in poplar.     

Symplastic continuity in Agrobacterium tumefaciens-induced tumours

The Agrobacterium tumefaciens-induced plant tumour is regarded as a strong sink, containing a well-developed vascular system that guarantees an efficient supply of water and nutrients from the host plant into the tumour. The phloem transport and unloading of the fluorescent dye carboxyfluorescein (CF) was studied to examine the potential pathways for unloading of a low-molecular-mass solute, and was compared with the symplastic movement of potato virus X expressing a green fluorescent protein-coat protein fusion (PVX.GFP-CP). The distribution of both CF and PVX.GFP-CP in the host plant, Nicotiana benthamiana, demonstrated a clear symplastic pathway between the phloem of the host stem and the cells of the tumour, and also a considerable capacity for subsequent cell-to-cell transport between tumour cells. This same pattern of CF transport was also demonstrated independently for the host species Cucurbita maxima and Ricinus communis. In addition to entering the tumour, CF and PVX both moved through the vascular rays of the host stem towards the stele. The results confirm that host and tumour tissues in the Agrobacterium gall are in direct symplastic continuity and emphasize an important symplastic pathway for radial solute transport in stems.Key words: Agrobacterium tumefaciens, carboxyfluorescein, GFP, symplastic phloem unloading, plant tumour, vascular rays      

Symplastic continuity between companion cells and the translocation stream: long-distance transport is controlled by retention and retrieval mechanisms in the phloem

Substantial symplastic continuity appears to exist between companion cells (CCs) and sieve elements of the phloem, which suggests that small solutes within the CC are subject to indiscriminate long-distance transport via the translocation stream. To test this hypothesis, the distributions of exotic and endogenous solutes synthesized in the CCs of minor veins were studied. Octopine, a charged molecule derived from arginine and pyruvate, was efficiently transported through the phloem but was also transferred in substantial amounts to the apoplast, and presumably other non-phloem compartments. The disaccharide galactinol also accumulated in non-phloem compartments, but long-distance transport was limited. Conversely, sucrose, raffinose, and especially stachyose demonstrated reduced accumulation and efficient transport out of the leaf. We conclude that small metabolites in the cytosol of CCs do enter the translocation stream indiscriminately but are also subject to distributive forces, such as nonselective and carrier-mediated membrane transport and symplastic dispersal, that may effectively clear a compound from the phloem or retain it for long-distance transport. A model is proposed in which the transport of oligosaccharides is an adaptive strategy to improve photoassimilate retention, and consequently translocation efficiency, in the phloem.     

Symplastic communication between primary and developing lateral roots of Arabidopsis thaliana

The functional symplastic connections between primary and developinglateral roots of Arabidopsis were studied non-invasively usingconfocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), following ester-loadingof the phloem with carboxyfluorescein (CF). Prior to the formationof lateral primordia in the pericycle, the phloem of the primaryroot behaved as an isolated conducting domain. However, thedifferentiation of phloem connector elements within the dividingpericycle allowed the rapid establishment of intercellular communicationbetween the phloem and the cells of the lateral primordium.This communication was often established prior to the completeemergence of the lateral root from the parent root. Shortlyafter its emergence, functional conducting phloem became differentiatedwithin the developing lateral root. A progressive isolationbetween the phloem and surrounding cells at the base of thelateral root was observed as the lateral continued to grow;the new phloem conducting CF to the elongation zone where itwas unloaded symplastically from the protophloem into surroundingcells of the cortex and stele, a feature mirroring the patternfound near the apex of growing primary roots. Anomalous patternsof intercellular communication were found which indicated thatpreviously functional symplastic pathways may have become sealedoff following the emergence of some of the lateral roots. Key words: Arabidopsis, carboxyfluorescein, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), intercellular transport, lateral roots, phloem (unloading), symplast     

Callose-Regulated Symplastic Communication Coordinates Symbiotic Root Nodule Development

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Sucrose supply to nematode-induced syncytia depends on the apoplasmic and symplasmic pathways

The plant parasitic nematode Heterodera schachtii induces syncytial feeding structures in the roots of host plants. Nematode-induced syncytia become strong sink tissues in the plant solute circulation system as the parasites start withdrawing nutrients. In the present work, the expression pattern of the phloem-specific sucrose transporter AtSUC4 (also described as AtSUT4) is analysed in syncytia induced by H. schachtii and it is compared with that of AtSUC2, another phloem-specific sucrose transporter, which is expressed in syncytia. The temporal expression pattern was monitored by GUS-tests and real-time RT-PCR, while the localization within the syncytia was performed using in situ RT-PCR. In this context, the concentration of sucrose in infection sites was also analysed and, in fact, an increase in response to syncytium development was found. Silencing of the AtSUC4 gene finally resulted in a significant reduction of female nematode development, thus demonstrating a function for this gene for the first time. It is therefore concluded that AtSUC4 plays a significant role in the early phase of syncytium differentiation when functional plasmodesmata to the phloem are not yet established. It is further concluded that, during syncytium establishment, transporters are responsible for sucrose supply and, at a later stage, when a connection to the phloem is established via plasmodesmata, transporters are required for sucrose retrieval.     

Microtubule transport and assembly during axon growth

There is controversy concerning the mechanisms by which the axonal microtubule (MT) array is elaborated, with some models focusing on MT assembly and other models focusing on MT transport. We have proposed a composite model in which MT assembly and transport are both important (Joshi, H.C., and P.W. Baas. 1993. J. Cell Biol. 121:1191-1196). In the present study, we have taken a novel approach to evaluate the merits of this proposal. Biotinylated tubulin was microinjected into cultured neurons that had already grown short axons. The axons were then permitted to grow longer, after which the cells were prepared for immunoelectron microscopic analyses. We reasoned that any polymer that assembled or turned over subunits after the introduction of the probe should label for biotin, while any polymer that was already assembled but did not turnover should not label. Therefore, the presence in the newly grown region of the axon of any unlabeled MT polymer is indicative of MT transport. In sampled regions, the majority of the polymer was labeled, indicating that MT assembly events are active during axon growth. Varying amounts of unlabeled polymer were also present in the newly grown regions, indicating that MT transport also occurs. Together these findings demonstrate that MT assembly and transport both contribute to the elaboration of the axonal MT array.     

Histology and symplasmic tracer distribution during development of barley androgenic embryos

The present study concerns three aspects of barley androgenesis: (1) the morphology and histology of the embryos during their development, (2) the time course of fluorescent symplasmic tracers’ distribution, and (3) the correlation between symplasmic communication and cell differentiation. The results indicate that barley embryos, which are developing via an androgenic pathway, resemble their zygotic counterparts with respect to their developmental stages, morphology and histology. Analysis of the distribution of the symplasmic tracers, HPTS, and uncaged fluorescein indicates the symplasmic isolation of (1) the protodermis from the underlying cells of the late globular stage onwards, and (2) the embryonic organs at the mature stage of development.     

高等植物共质体区内与区间的电波传递

本文以白花紫露草(Tradescantia flumi—nensis Vel)为材料,运用胞外、胞内微电极及显微注射等方法,对电波在植物体内的传递方式进行了进一步探讨。结果表明,白花紫露革对于伤害性刺激可以产生强烈的电位波动在周身传递。这种电位波动可以被FAA固定液造成的生理障碍阻断;白花紫露草叶片可分为不同的共质体区,在共质体区内,电波传递很快,远高于液相中物质的扩散速度;而在各共质区问,电波传递出现时间上的延迟,与共质体内电波传递速度相差一个数量级,因此,可以推测,在共质体区内电波是以局部电流的方式传递的,而在共质体区问,电波的传递可能有化学介质的参与。     

Symplastic Transport of Gibberellins: Evidence from Flux and Inhibitor Studies

The pathway of transport of gibberellins (GA₁ and GA₃) in oatcoleoptiles has been investigated, using conventional but modifiedtransport methods and evidence from flux studies. Longitudinaltransport, which is non-polar, is strongly reduced by azide.On the other hand, azide does not reduce uptake of gibberellin.After a time lag of 160 min, azide increases both uptake andloss of gibberellins. If transport of GA were apoplastic it should therefore be unaffectedor even increased by the presence of azide. The data thereforesupport the hypothesis that gibberellin transport is symplastic.Some part of the symplast, possibly the plasmodesmata themselves,is affected by azide.     

Peptide transport and animal growth: the fish paradigm

Protein digestion products are transported from the intestinal lumen into the enterocyte both in the form of free amino acids (AAs), by a large variety of brush border membrane AA transporters, and in the form of di/tripeptides, by a single brush border membrane transporter known as PEPtide Transporter 1 (PEPT1). Recent data indicate that, at least in teleost fish, PEPT1 plays a significant role in animal growth by operating, at the gastrointestinal level, as part of an integrated response network to food availability that directly supports body weight. Notably, PEPT1 responds to both fasting and refeeding and is involved in a phenomenon known as compensatory growth (a phase of accelerated growth when food levels are restored after a period of growth depression). In particular, PEPT1 expression decreases during fasting and increases during refeeding, which is the opposite of what observed so far in mammals and birds. These findings in teleost fish document, to our knowledge, for the first time in a vertebrate model, a direct correlation between the expression of an intestinal transporter, such as PEPT1, primarily involved in the uptake of dietary protein degradation products and animal growth.     

Season-associated modifications in symplasmic organization of the cambium in Populus nigra

Background and Aims

Alterations of plasmodesma (PD) connectivity are likely to be very important for plant development. Here, the repetitive division pattern of cambial initials in Populus nigra ‘italica’ was studied to follow the development of the PD network during maturation. Furthermore, seasonal changes were investigated in order to trace indications for developmental and functional adaptations.

Methods

Cambium samples of P. nigra twigs, collected in summer, autumn and spring, were chemically fixed for transmission electron microscopy. The parameters, PD density (number of PDs per square micrometre cell-wall area) and PD frequency (total number of PDs per average cell-wall area), were determined for radial and tangential cell interfaces deposited in chronological order.

Key Results

Data sets, presented in plasmodesmograms, show a strong variability in the PD network throughout the year. In summer, high PD numbers occur at the division wall which, after PD doubling by longitudinal fission, decline with further development both at the xylem and the phloem side. In autumn, the number of PDs at the division wall is low as they are in subsequent tangential interfaces. In spring, the first cell division coincides with a massive increase in PD numbers, in particular at the division wall. Only the radial walls between initials maintain their PD equipment throughout the year. This feature can be exploited for identification of the initial layer.

Conclusions

PD networks in the cambium go through a strict developmental programme depending on the season, which is associated with changing functional requirements. For instance, PD numbers correlate with proliferative activity and potential pathways for intercellular signalling. Increases in PD numbers are ascribed to longitudinal fission as a major mechanism, whereas the decline in older derivatives is ascribed to PD degradation.