Formin homology 1 (OsFH1) regulates root-hair elongation in rice (Oryza sativa)

The outgrowth of root hairs from the epidermal cell layer is regulated by a strict genetic regulatory system and external growth conditions. Rice plants cultivated in water-logged paddy land are exposed to a soil ecology that differs from the environment surrounding upland plants, such as Arabidopsis and maize. To identify genes that play important roles in root-hair growth, a forward genetics approach was used to screen for short-root-hair mutants. A short-root-hair mutant was identified, and the gene was isolated using map-based cloning and sequencing. The mutant harbored a point mutation at a splicing acceptor site, which led to truncation of OsFH1 (rice formin homology 1). Subsequent analysis of two additional T-DNA mutants verified that OsFH1 is important for root-hair elongation. Further studies revealed that the action of OsFH1 on root-hair growth is dependent on growth conditions. The mutant Osfh1 exhibited root-hair defects when roots were grown submerged in solution, and mutant roots produced normal root hairs in the air. However, root-hair phenotypes of mutants were not influenced by the external supply of hormones or carbohydrates, a deficiency of nutrients, such as Fe or P _i , or aeration. This study shows that OsFH1 plays a significant role in root-hair elongation in a growth condition-dependent manner.     

Changes in soil CO2 and O2 concentrations when radiata pine is grown in competition with pasture or weeds and possible feedbacks with radiata pine root growth and respiration

This study examined the reciprocal effects of growing ryegrass, lotus and other weed species in competition with radiata pine on soil CO₂ and O₂ concentrations and on the growth and root respiration of the radiata pine. Soil O₂ concentrations decreased and soil CO₂ concentrations increased with increasing soil depth. Radiata pine plus competing species slightly reduced soil O₂ concentrations and markedly increased soil CO₂ concentrations (up to 40 mmol mol⁻¹) compared with radiata pine alone. The dry weights of shoots and roots, and the root respiration rates of radiata pine grown with competing vegetation were much less than those for radiata pine alone. This probably was not solely caused by competition for nutrients water or light since adequate water and nutrients were supplied to all treatments and the radiata pine overtopped the competing vegetation. When radiata pine roots were raised in NaHCO₃ solutions equivalent to a range of CO₂ concentrations, succinate dehydrogenase activity (a metabolic indicator of mitochondrial respiration) and elongation rates of roots decreased as CO₂ concentrations increased from 0 to 40 mmol mol⁻¹. This suggests that the elevated CO₂ concentrations found in the experiments in soil was the cause, at least in part, of the reduced growth of radiata pine in competition with other species. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

生长调节剂和基质对枳根毛发育的影响

以干净河沙和混合土为基质,采用不同浓度的吲哚丁酸（IBA）、乙烯利（ETH）、萘乙酸（NAA）处理枳实生苗,研究了枳根毛发育的状况,并在缺磷沙培条件下探讨了枳根毛发育周期及其分布状况.结果表明：枳实生苗根毛凋亡周期约为4 d,呈块状丛生,主要分布在根体,且着生分布不均.沙培条件下枳实生苗发生根毛较多,每条主根约有486.3条根毛,1.0 μmol·L^-1的IBA和ETH诱导主根发生根毛的效果明显,而NAA无显著作用,缺磷沙培能够诱导更多的根毛发生(每条主根平均6363条);混合土培养条件下枳实生苗发生根毛较少,每条主根只有2123条根毛,各生长调节剂对发生根毛的作用效果都不明显.     

Nuclear dynamics during the simultaneous and sustained tip growth of multiple root hairs arising from a single root epidermal cell

Nuclear dynamics in root hairs, which depends upon the actin cytoskeleton, appears to be an important factor in root-hair tip growth. Previous evidence suggests that there is an absolute requirement for the nucleus to be a fixed distance from the growing root-hair tip for tip growth to proceed. To test this hypothesis, nuclear dynamics were examined in root-hair cells bearing multiple root hairs. The majority of root-hair cells of transgenic plants overexpressing the ROP2 GTPase (ROP2 OX) bear multiple root hairs. Simultaneous and sustained fast tip growth occurred in multiple root hairs of ROP2 OX, with the continual presence of tip-localized cytoplasm in these growing hairs. Nuclear dynamics were imaged in ROP2 OX by co-expressing a transgene encoding a nuclear localization signal (NLS)-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein. The nucleus was in continual proximity to one of the growing root-hair tips, whilst the other tip elongated at a similar rate but in the absence of the nucleus from the shank of that root hair. To test whether this phenomenon was an artefact of ROP2 overexpression, nuclear dynamics were examined in wild-type and NLS-GFP transgenic plants. Multiple root hairs on the same cell underwent simultaneous and sustained fast tip growth, with the nucleus lying deep within the shank of only one of these hairs. The nucleus was also moved into the root-hair tip during the severe root-hair tip branching which is characteristic of ROP2 OX transgenic plants. These results suggest that fast tip growth can proceed in some multiple root hairs at extreme distances from the nucleus.     

The properties of a biologically formed manganese oxide,its availability to oats and its solution by root washings

Summary Manganese oxide, produced byCorynebacterium sp. in liquid medium was found to be amorphous, probably hydrated and was readily reduced by neutral quinol. Preparations of the oxide had values of n in the formula MnO_n which ranged from 1.76 to 1.88. The oxide was completely available to oats grown in sand culture but only slightly available in a manganese deficient soil. Plants grown under sterile conditions on agar slopes were able to obtain manganese from manganese oxide, indicating that the roots and not associated micro-organisms, were responsible for the solution process. Root washings of oat plants contained substances which dissolved manganese oxides and the activity of these substances increased with increasing acidity. The possible importance of these substances in making soil manganese available to plants is discussed.     

The effects of micro-organisms upon plant growth

Summary Phytotoxins developed during heat-sterilization of soil were removed by 40 per cent of the fungi and ten per cent of the bacteria isolated from inoculated heat-sterilized soil. Detoxication by the fungi was not necessarily associated with marked proliferation in sterile soil,Trichoderma viride was an active colonizer of sterile soil but quite ineffective as a detoxicating agent.The phytotoxins could be readily leached out and their effects transmitted to sterile sand and irradiated soil. Results indicate that the toxicity is not due to changes in pH, soluble manganese or ammonia but is probably due to the formation of toxic organic materials.Primary root growth of subterranean clover is markedly stunted by toxins formed during heat-sterilization of soil and could provide an extremely sensitive bioassay for toxicity.Detoxication by micro-organisms may have been misinterpreted in the past as a direct stimulation of plant growth and caution is required in studies of the effects of micro-organisms upon plant growth.     

Role of root hairs in phosphorus depletion from a macrostructured soil

One rape (Brassica napus cv. Wesroona) plant and four cotton (Gossypium hirsutum cv. Sicot 3) plants were grown in plastic cells containing soil labelled with 407 kBq of³³P g⁻¹ soil. After 5–8 days of growth, the³³P depletion zones of all plants were autoradiographed and³³P uptake by plants was measured. The autoradiographs were scanned with a microdensitometer and the optical densities at several places within the³³P depletion zones of roots were obtained. The volume of soil explored by root hairs was estimated from measurements of root diameters and lengths of roots and root hairs. About half of the total³³P depleted by cotion roots came from outside the root hair cylinder whereas most of³³P taken up by rape was from within the root hair cylinder. Plants grown in a macrostructured soil may have roots growing in voids, within aggregates or on the surfaces of aggregates. The results of this study demonstrate that root hairs have a strong influence on the accessibility of phosphorus to roots in such a soil, and thus on the phosphorus nutrition of plants.     

Population Dynamics,Root Penetration,and Feeding Behavior of Pratylenchus agilis in Monoxenic Root Cultures of Corn,Tomato, and Soybean

Population dynamics, rate of root penetration, and external root feeding behavior of Pratylenchus agilis (Pa) in monoxenic cultures of intact corn seedlings and root explants of corn, tomato, and soybean were studied. In descending order of suitability as hosts were I. O. Chief corn, Rutgers tomato, and Williams soybean. Soybean entries Kent, Pickett 71, PI 90763, and Essex were poor hosts. Numbers of eggs and vermiform Pa in the agar medium indicated total fecundity and host suitability. Agar, sand, or soil as support media did not appear to affect Pa root penetration, but the rate of corn root growth did. Whereas most vermiform Pa and eggs were in roots, substantial numbers appeared able to feed and complete their life cycle as ectoparasites on root epidermal cells and root hairs.     

Natural Infection of Tomato and Pelargonium in Germany by a Tombusvirus Originally Described from Pepper in Morocco

Two serologically apparently identical tombusviruses were isolated from glasshousegrown tomato plants showing mottle and malformation of the upper leaves and stunting of the shoot tips and, at a low rate, from a pelargonium plant, respectively. Both plant species were received from growers in southern Germany. In agar gel double diffusion tests and immuno-electrophoresis, the two virus isolates could not be distinguished from a tombusvirus (MPV) isolated from pepper in Morocco by F ischer and L ockhart (1977), although there were some minor differences in the reported host responses. In the tomato planting, strong symptoms were produced only temporarily. The majority of the 104 tomato plants of 15 different cultivars which had become infected by MPV following mechanical inoculation of the leaves showed only mild symptoms in contrast to a similar group of plants which developed severe stunting and foliar deformation when infected with the type strain of tomato bushy stunt virus. MPV was translocated only occasionally to the upper parts of tomato seedlings which had been grown in virus-containing soil, although root infections were more frequent. MPV is apparently not a major threat to tomato cultivation in Germany.     

Role of cellulose fibrils and exopolysaccharides of Rhizobium leguminosarum in attachment to and infection of Vicia sativa root hairs

Infection and subsequent nodulation of legume host plants by the root nodule symbiote Rhizobium leguminosarum usually require attachment of the bacteria to root-hair tips. Bacterial cellulose fibrils have been shown to be involved in this attachment process but appeared not to be essential for successful nodulation. Detailed analysis of Vicia sativa root-hair infection by wild-type Rhizobium leguminosarum RBL5523 and its cellulose fibril-deficient celE mutant showed that wild-type bacteria infected elongated growing root hairs, whereas cellulose-deficient bacteria infected young emerging root hairs. Exopolysaccharide-deficient strains that retained the ability to produce cellulose fibrils could also infect elongated root hairs but infection thread colonization was defective. Cellulose-mediated agglutination of these bacteria in the root-hair curl appeared to prevent entry into the induced infection thread. Infection experiments with V sativa roots and an extracellular polysaccharide (EPS)- and cellulose-deficient double mutant showed that cellulose-mediated agglutination of the EPS-deficient bacteria in the infection thread was now abolished and that infection thread colonization was partially restored. Interestingly, in this case, infection threads were initiated in root hairs that originated from the cortical cell layers of the root and not in epidermal root hairs. Apparently, surface polysaccharides of R. leguminosarum, such as cellulose fibrils, are determining factors for infection of different developmental stages of root hairs.     

Effects of Pyrenochaeta lycopersici infection on nutrient uptake by tomato plants

The growth of young tomato plants in nutrient solution or in soil and infected with Pyrenochaeta lycopersici Schneider & Gerlach, the cause of tomato brown root rot, was decreased relative to that of uninfected plants. The roots of plants grown in nutrient solution and infected with a mycelial mat of the pathogen contained lower concentrations of potassium and higher concentrations of calcium than roots of uninfected plants. These changes occurred largely in the visibly affected tissue, as opposed to the root system as a whole. The concentrations of magnesium, total nitrogen and phosphorus in the roots of infected plants were not significantly different from those of control plants. Magnesium, nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the tops of infected plants were also not significantly different from those of healthy plants, but no consistent changes were found in the concentrations of calcium and potassium. Young tomato plants grown in soil infested with P. lycopersici contained lower concentrations of phosphorus and potassium in the tops than plants grown in sterilized soil. It was not possible to separate intact damaged root systems of infected plants from soil. The changes in composition found in infected plants are discussed in relation to possible methods of manipulating the nutrition of the plant to offset the effects of the disease on crop yield.     

Aerenchyma and lenticel formation in pine seedlings: A possible avoidance mechanism to anaerobic growth conditions

Seedlings of pond pine ( Pinus serotina Michx.), sand pine [ P. clausa (Engelm.) Sarg.], and loblolly pine ( P. taeda L., wet-site and drought-hardy seed sources) were grown in hydroponic solution culture using a non-circulating, continuously flowing design under anaerobic or aerobic conditions to determine whether flooding tolerance was correlated with enhanced internal root aeration. Transport of atmospheric O₂ from the shoot to the root of anaerobically grown loblolly and pond pine seedlings was demonstrated via rhizosphere oxidation, using both reduced indigo-carmine solution and a polarographic, ensheathing Pt-electrode. Stem and root collar lenticels were the major sites of atmospheric O₂ entry for submerged roots in these seedlings. No O₂ leakage was detected from roots of aerobically grown pine seedlings. Longitudinal and radial pathways for gaseous diffusion via intercellular air spaces in the pericycle and between ray parenchyma cells, respectively, were demonstrated histo-logically in anaerobically grown loblolly and pond pines. Rhizosphere oxidation, and lenticel and aerenchyma development in roots of flood-intolerant sand pine seedlings grown in anaerobic solutions were minimal. Only 15 days of anaerobic growth conditions were necessary to increase internal root porosities of loblolly and pond pine seedlings – although not to the extent found in seedlings treated for 30 or 75 days. Histological results indicated that root tissue in the secondary stage of growth was capable of forming intercellular air spaces, demonstrating a degree of internal plasticity – at least in the more flood-tolerant loblolly and pond pine seedlings.     

Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation on root traits and root volatile organic compound emissions of Sorghum bicolor

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by plant roots have important functions that can influence the rhizospheric environment. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi on the profile of root VOCs. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) plants were grown in pots inoculated with either Glomus mosseae or Glomus intraradices, which formed mycorrhiza with the roots. Control plants were grown in pots inoculated with sterile inoculum and did not form mycorrhiza. Forty-four VOCs were determined using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Alkanes were the most abundant type of VOCs emitted by both mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants. Both the quantity and type of volatiles were dramatically altered by the presence of AM fungi, and these changes had species specificity. Compared with non-mycorrhizal plants, mycorrhizal plants emitted more alcohols, alkenes, ethers and acids but fewer linear-alkanes. The AM fungi also influenced the morphological traits of the host roots. The total root length and specific root length of mycorrhizal plants were significantly greater than those of non-mycorrhizal plants; however, both the incidence and length of root-hair were dramatically decreased. Our findings confirm that AM fungi can alter the profile of VOCs emitted by roots as well as the root morphology of sorghum plants, indicating that AM fungi have the potential to help plants adapt to and alter soil environments.     

The infected root-hair count for estimating the activity of Plasmodiophora brassicae Woron. in the soil

A method is described for estimating the relative numbers of Plasmodiophora brassicae spores germinating in different soils, by counting infected root hairs. Cabbage seedlings are grown for 1 week at 25C. in glass tumblers of the infected soils; after washing out, the tap roots are stained in 1% aceto-carmine and a count is made of the number of root hairs containing zoosporangia of P. brassicae , along 2 cm. of root. It is shown that by this method it is possible to study, for example, the action of different bases in inhibiting root-hair infection; the main inhibiting factor was found to be soil alkalinity, however produced. Other factors were found to influence infection in lesser degree; thus the number of infected root hairs was reduced in soils receiving N /10 sodium and potassium chlorides in place of distilled water. Root-hair infection was also inhibited by low soil-moisture content.     

Mycorrhizal Dependency of Various Kinds of Plants

Mycorrhizal dependency of various kinds of plants was estimated in pot cultures. Seeds or cuttings inoculated with Glomus spp. were grown in unsterilized sandy fluvo-aquic soil or sand, fertilized with dilute Hoagland's solution. Results showed that the weight of shoot and root of all mycorrhizal seedlings was significantly greater than that of uninoculated seedlings except chrysanthemum which was generally recognized as a nonmycorrhizal family. Mycorrhizal dependency of different plants decreased in the following order: grape, China rose, white clover, asparagus, violet, petunia, corn, cotton, soybean, tobacco, peanut, tomato, mungbean, lily and chrysanthemum. Mycorrhizal inoculation also enhanced the flowering of China rose and terminal bud growth of pomegranate. There was no correlation between the percentage of mycorrhizal infection and mycorrhizal dependency, although all plants were infected after inoculation.     

The allelopathic potential of alfalfa root medicagenic acid glycosides and their fate in soil environments

Summary The allelopathic effect of alfalfa (Medicago media Pers.) and red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) root saponins on winter wheat seedling growth and the fate of these chemicals in soil environments were studied. Seed germination, seedling and test fungus growth were suppressed by water and by alcohol extracts of alfalfa roots, and by crude saponins of alfalfa roots, indicating that medicagenic acid glycosides are the inhibitor. Powdered alfalfa roots inhibited wheat seedling growth when added to sand. At concentrations as low as 0.25% (w/w) the root system was completely destroyed whereas seedling shoots suffered little damage. Red clover roots caused some wheat growth inhibition when incorporated to sand, but their effect was much lower than in the alfalfa root treatment. Soil textures had a significant influence on the inhibitory effect of alfalfa roots. The inhibition of seedling growth was more pronounced on light than on heavy soils. This was attribted to the higher sorption of inhibitors by heavy soils. Incubation of alfalfa roots mixed into loose sand, coarse sand, loamy sand and clay loam for a period of 0–8 days resulted in decreased toxicity to bothT. viride and wheat seedlings. This decrease occurred more quickly in heavier soils than in loose sand, due to the hydrolysis of glycosides by soil microorganisms. Soil microbes were capable of detoxifying medicagenic acid glycosides by partial hydrolysis of sugar chain to aglycone. These findings illustrate the importance of medicagenic acid glycosides as an inhibitor of wheat seedling growth, and of their fate in different soil environments.     

Root development and configuration in intensively managed radiata pine plantations

Summary In south-east Australia, where radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) is grown on sandy soils low in nutrients and short of water, early establishment, and rapid growth to canopy closure lead to increased productivity. At this stage demands for nutrients and water are high, and trees respond vigorously to silvicultural inputs.For several months after transplanting in winter roots are confined within a narrow planting wedge, low temperature restricts new root growth and slows recovery from water stress in plants. From spring, depending upon the configuration and vigour of the roots transplanted, lateral roots extend radially throughout the soil.Although there were small decreases in concentration of roots radially from the stems of very young trees, such spatial differences disappeared between ages 2 and 3, so that rooting density was independent of distance from the stem. The pattern of vertical distribution of lateral roots was not influenced by age and 80–90% of the lateral roots were within the top 30 cm soil. Roots developed rapidly as the trees grew towards canopy closure, but in general the rooting densities of these pines are among the lowest reported for plants. In rapidly growing trees approaching canopy closure, the secondary thickening of the lateral roots was sufficient to double the weight of roots without altering root length.Knowledge about root growth and root configuration during the early phase of plantation development will assist management decisions where intensive silviculture is practiced, and hence ensure the most efficient use of nutrients and water.     

Early growth of Brazilian pine (Araucaria angustifolia[Bertol.] Kuntze) in response to soil compaction and drought

Soil compaction leads to changes in soil physical properties such as density, penetration resistance and porosity, and, by consequence, affects root and plant growth. The initial growth of Brazilian pine is considered as being more affected by soil physical than chemical conditions, and the presence of a well-developed tap root system has been associated with this fact. A greenhouse experiment was conducted in order to evaluate the impact of soil compaction on the growth of Brazilian pine seedlings and on their susceptibility to a simulated drought period. In the first phase of the experiment, the effects of three levels of soil compaction on root morphology and plant growth were examined. Soil cylinders were artificially compacted in PVC tubes. Pre-germinated seeds were planted, and 147 days later 10 plants from each treatment were harvested for analysis. Higher values of soil density were associated with a shorter and thicker tap root. Growth of lateral roots and shoots remained unaffected at this stage. In the second phase, half of the plants (12) in each compaction treatment were drought-stressed by withholding water for a period of 77 days. Increased soil compaction again resulted in reduced length and increased diameter of the main tap root. This time, the effects were also extended to the lateral roots. Shoot extension growth and overall plant mass, however, increased with soil compaction. This greater mass accumulation in plants growing under increased soil compaction may be attributed to a more intimate contact between roots and soil particles. Drought stress reduced both root and shoot growth, but root mass was more negatively affected by drought stress in plants growing under high levels of soil compaction. Future investigations on the effects of soil compaction on the initial growth of Brazilian pine should include a wider range of compaction levels to better establish the relationship between soil physical parameters and plant growth.     

Salinity effects on germination,growth, and seed production of the halophyte Cakile maritima

The growth ofEucalyptus regnans seedlings in forest soil is enhanced when it has been air-dried. In undried forest soil seedlings grow poorly and develop purple coloration in the foliage, indicating P deficiency. This paper reports the results of pot experiments designed to investigate the relationship between growth and P acquisition, ectomycorrhizal infection and age of seedlings grown in air-dried and undried soil. The effect on seedling growth of their inoculation with air-dried or undried soil or with ectomycorrhizal roots from plants growing in air-dried or undried soil was also investigated. Ectomycorrhizal root tips were detected in 3-week-oldE. regnans seedlings in both air-dried and undried soil, and from then on the frequency of ectomycorrhizal root tips increased rapidly. In air-dried soil, seedlings were fully ectomycorrhizal at 9 weeks, and the occurrence of maximum ectomycorrhizal infection coincided with enhanced P acquisition and the initiation of rapid seedling growth. In undried forest soil, seedling growth remained poor, even though the seedlings had well-developed ectomycorrhizae and the incidence of ectomycorrhizal root tips was the same as in air-dried soil. The dominant ectomycorrhizae in airdried soil were associated with an ascomycete fungus, whereas in undried, undisturbed soil they were commonly associated with basidiomycete fungi. Inoculation of sterile soil/sand mix with washed ectomycorrhizal roots from air-dried soil increased the P acquisition and growth of the seedlings significantly compared with controls, whereas ectomycorrhizal inocula from undried soil had no effect on seedling growth, although both inocula resulted in a similar incidence of ectomycorrhizal root tips. Similarly, addition of a small amount of air-dried soil into sterile soil/sand mix resulted in a significantly greater increase in the P content and dry weight of the seedlings, compared with the control, than addition of undried soil. In both treatments, the incidence of ectomycorrhial root tips was similar. As (i) the differentiation in seedling growth between air-dried and undried soil occurred after seedlings became ectomycorrhizal, (ii) the dominant ectomycorrhizae in air-dried soil were different from those in undried soil, and (iii) inocula from air-dried soil, but not from undried soil, stimulated seedling growth in sterile soil/sand mix, it is concluded that development of particular ectomycorrhizae may be involved in seedling growth stimulation and enhanced P acquisition associated with air drying of forest soil.