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Płachno BJ, Kapusta M, Stolarczyk P, Świątek P, Lichtscheidl I. Differences in the Occurrence of Cell Wall Components between Distinct Cell Types in Glands of Drosophyllum lusitanicum. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15045. [PMID: 37894725 PMCID: PMC10606540 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Carnivorous plants are mixotrophs that have developed the ability to lure, trap, and digest small organisms and utilize components of the digested bodies. Leaves of Drosophyllum lusitanicum have two kinds of glands (emergences): stalked mucilage glands and sessile digestive glands. The stalked mucilage glands perform the primary role in prey lure and trapping. Apart from their role in carnivory, they absorb water condensed from oceanic fog; thus, plants can survive in arid conditions. To better understand the function of carnivorous plant emergences, the molecular composition of their cell walls was investigated using immunocytochemical methods. In this research, Drosophyllum lusitanicum was used as a study system to determine whether cell wall immunocytochemistry differs between the mucilage and digestive glands of other carnivorous plant species. Light and electron microscopy were used to observe gland structure. Fluorescence microscopy revealed the localization of carbohydrate epitopes associated with the major cell wall polysaccharides and glycoproteins. The mucilage gland (emergence) consists of a glandular head, a connecting neck zone, and stalk. The gland head is formed by an outer and inner layer of glandular (secretory) cells and supported by a layer of endodermoid (barrier) cells. The endodermoid cells have contact with a core of spongy tracheids with spiral-shaped thickenings. Lateral tracheids are surrounded by epidermal and parenchymal neck cells. Different patterns of cell wall components were found in the various cell types of the glands. Cell walls of glandular cells generally are poor in both low and highly esterified homogalacturonans (HGs) but enriched with hemicelluloses. Cell walls of inner glandular cells are especially rich in arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs). The cell wall ingrowths in glandular cells are significantly enriched with hemicelluloses and AGPs. In the case of cell wall components, the glandular cells of Drosophyllum lusitanicum mucilage glands are similar to the glandular cells of the digestive glands of Aldrovanda vesiculosa and Dionaea muscipula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bartosz J. Płachno
- Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Institute of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, 9 Gronostajowa St., 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Kapusta
- Laboratory of Electron Microscopy, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, 59 Wita Stwosza St., 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland;
| | - Piotr Stolarczyk
- Department of Botany, Physiology and Plant Protection, Faculty of Biotechnology and Horticulture, University of Agriculture in Kraków, 29 Listopada 54 Ave., 31-425 Kraków, Poland;
| | - Piotr Świątek
- Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, 9 Bankowa St., 40-007 Katowice, Poland;
| | - Irene Lichtscheidl
- Cell Imaging and Ultrastructure Research, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria;
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2
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Hedrich R, Kreuzer I. Demystifying the Venus flytrap action potential. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 239:2108-2112. [PMID: 37424515 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
All plants are electrically excitable, but only few are known to fire a well-defined, all-or-nothing action potential (AP). The Venus flytrap Dionaea muscipula displays APs with an extraordinarily high firing frequency and speed, enabling the capture organ of this carnivorous plant to catch small animals as fast as flies. The number of APs triggered by the prey is counted and serves as the basis for decisions within the flytrap's hunting cycle. The archetypical Dionaea AP lasts 1 s and consists of five phases: Starting from the resting state, an initial cytosolic Ca2+ transient is followed by depolarization, repolarization and a transient hyperpolarization (overshoot) before the original membrane potential is finally recovered. When the flytrap matures and becomes excitable, a distinct set of ion channels, pumps and carriers is expressed, each mastering a distinct AP phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rainer Hedrich
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Biocenter, Würzburg University, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, D-97082, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ines Kreuzer
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Biocenter, Würzburg University, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, D-97082, Würzburg, Germany
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3
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Armada-Moreira A, Dar AM, Zhao Z, Cea C, Gelinas J, Berggren M, Costa A, Khodagholy D, Stavrinidou E. Plant electrophysiology with conformable organic electronics: Deciphering the propagation of Venus flytrap action potentials. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadh4443. [PMID: 37494449 PMCID: PMC10371018 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh4443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Electrical signals in plants are mediators of long-distance signaling and correlate with plant movements and responses to stress. These signals are studied with single surface electrodes that cannot resolve signal propagation and integration, thus impeding their decoding and link to function. Here, we developed a conformable multielectrode array based on organic electronics for large-scale and high-resolution plant electrophysiology. We performed precise spatiotemporal mapping of the action potential (AP) in Venus flytrap and found that the AP actively propagates through the tissue with constant speed and without strong directionality. We also found that spontaneously generated APs can originate from unstimulated hairs and that they correlate with trap movement. Last, we demonstrate that the Venus flytrap circuitry can be activated by cells other than the sensory hairs. Our work reveals key properties of the AP and establishes the capacity of organic bioelectronics for resolving electrical signaling in plants contributing to the mechanistic understanding of long-distance responses in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Armada-Moreira
- Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, SE-601 74 Norrköping, Sweden
- Neuronal Dynamics Lab, International School for Advanced Studies, 34136 Trieste TS, Italy
| | - Abdul Manan Dar
- Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, SE-601 74 Norrköping, Sweden
| | - Zifang Zhao
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Claudia Cea
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Jennifer Gelinas
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Magnus Berggren
- Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, SE-601 74 Norrköping, Sweden
- Wallenberg Wood Science Center, Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, SE-601 74 Norrköping, Sweden
| | - Alex Costa
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milano, Italy
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Dion Khodagholy
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Eleni Stavrinidou
- Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, SE-601 74 Norrköping, Sweden
- Wallenberg Wood Science Center, Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, SE-601 74 Norrköping, Sweden
- Umeå Plant Science Center, Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
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4
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Borisjuk L, Horn P, Chapman K, Jakob PM, Gündel A, Rolletschek H. Seeing plants as never before. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 238:1775-1794. [PMID: 36895109 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Imaging has long supported our ability to understand the inner life of plants, their development, and response to a dynamic environment. While optical microscopy remains the core tool for imaging, a suite of novel technologies is now beginning to make a significant contribution to visualize plant metabolism. The purpose of this review was to provide the scientific community with an overview of current imaging methods, which rely variously on either nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass spectrometry (MS) or infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and to present some examples of their application in order to illustrate their utility. In addition to providing a description of the basic principles underlying these technologies, the review discusses their various advantages and limitations, reveals the current state of the art, and suggests their potential application to experimental practice. Finally, a view is presented as to how the technologies will likely develop, how these developments may encourage the formulation of novel experimental strategies, and how the enormous potential of these technologies can contribute to progress in plant science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ljudmilla Borisjuk
- Leibniz-Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstrasse 3, 06466, Seeland-Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Patrick Horn
- Department of Biological Sciences, BioDiscovery Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 76203, USA
| | - Kent Chapman
- Department of Biological Sciences, BioDiscovery Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 76203, USA
| | - Peter M Jakob
- Institute of Experimental Physics 5, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Andre Gündel
- Leibniz-Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstrasse 3, 06466, Seeland-Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Hardy Rolletschek
- Leibniz-Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstrasse 3, 06466, Seeland-Gatersleben, Germany
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Fromm J, Lautner S. Electrical Signaling and Its Functions Under Conditions of Abiotic Stress: A Review of Methodological Approaches and Physiological Implications. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2642:179-193. [PMID: 36944879 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3044-0_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
In contrast to chemical messengers, electrical signals such as action potentials and variation potentials can transmit information much faster over long distances. Electrical signals can be triggered by various abiotic stress factors and are propagated via plasmodesmata over short distances and within the phloem over long distances. Thus, in addition to assimilate transport from sources to sinks, the phloem serves as a communication highway for various types of information. Key factors for systemic signaling in the phloem are peptides, RNAs, hormones, and electrical signals. In recent years, there has been increasing evidence that rapid communication by means of electrical signals is essential for various plant physiological processes. Thus, this chapter focuses on electrical signaling and various associated physiological effects, such as regulation of leaf movements, assimilate transport, photosynthesis, and gas exchange, as well as plant water status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jörg Fromm
- Wood Biology, Institute for Wood Science, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Silke Lautner
- Applied Wood Biology, Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Eberswalde, Germany
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Stellate Trichomes in Dionaea muscipula Ellis (Venus Flytrap) Traps, Structure and Functions. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010553. [PMID: 36613996 PMCID: PMC9820793 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The digestive organs of carnivorous plants have external (abaxial) glands and trichomes, which perform various functions. Dionaea muscipula Ellis (the Venus flytrap) is a model carnivorous plant species whose traps are covered by external trichomes. The aim of the study was to fill in the gap regarding the structure of the stellate outer trichomes and their immunocytochemistry and to determine whether these data support the suggestions of other authors about the roles of these trichomes. Light and electron microscopy was used to show the trichomes' structure. Fluorescence microscopy was used to locate the carbohydrate epitopes that are associated with the major cell wall polysaccharides and glycoproteins. The endodermal cells and internal head cells of the trichomes were differentiated as transfer cells, and this supports the idea that stellate trichomes transport solutes and are not only tomentose-like trichomes. Trichome cells differ in the composition of their cell walls, e.g., the cell walls of the internal head cells are enriched with arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs). The cell walls of the outer head cells are poor in both low and highly homogalacturonans (HGs), but the immature trichomes are rich in the pectic polysaccharide (1-4)-β-D-galactan. In the immature traps, young stellate trichomes produce mucilage which may protect the trap surface, and in particular, the trap entrance. However, the role of these trichomes is different when the outer head cells collapse. In the internal head cells, a thick secondary wall cell was deposited, which together with the thick cell walls of the outer head cells played the role of a large apoplastic space. This may suggest that mature stellate trichomes might function as hydathodes, but this should be experimentally proven.
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Brownlee C. Plant physiology: Anatomy of a plant action potential. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R1000-R1002. [PMID: 36220083 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The Venus flytrap possesses modified leaves that can snap shut fast enough to catch a fly. A new study identifies the major components of the toolkit that allows the flytrap to fire action potentials, illustrating how different ion channels and transporters are recruited to give rise to this unique plant behavioural response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Brownlee
- Marine Biological Association, the Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, UK.
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8
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Scherzer S, Böhm J, Huang S, Iosip AL, Kreuzer I, Becker D, Heckmann M, Al-Rasheid KAS, Dreyer I, Hedrich R. A unique inventory of ion transporters poises the Venus flytrap to fast-propagating action potentials and calcium waves. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4255-4263.e5. [PMID: 36087579 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.08.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Since the 19th century, it has been known that the carnivorous Venus flytrap is electrically excitable. Nevertheless, the mechanism and the molecular entities of the flytrap action potential (AP) remain unknown. When entering the electrically excitable stage, the trap expressed a characteristic inventory of ion transporters, among which the increase in glutamate receptor GLR3.6 RNA was most pronounced. Trigger hair stimulation or glutamate application evoked an AP and a cytoplasmic Ca2+ transient that both propagated at the same speed from the site of induction along the entire trap lobe surface. A priming Ca2+ moiety entering the cytoplasm in the context of the AP was further potentiated by an organelle-localized calcium-induced calcium release (CICR)-like system prolonging the Ca2+ signal. While the Ca2+ transient persisted, SKOR K+ channels and AHA H+-ATPases repolarized the AP already. By counting the number of APs and long-lasting Ca2+ transients, the trap directs the different steps in the carnivorous plant's hunting cycle. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sönke Scherzer
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Biocenter, Wuerzburg University, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany.
| | - Jennifer Böhm
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Biocenter, Wuerzburg University, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Shouguang Huang
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Biocenter, Wuerzburg University, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Anda L Iosip
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Biocenter, Wuerzburg University, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Ines Kreuzer
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Biocenter, Wuerzburg University, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Dirk Becker
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Biocenter, Wuerzburg University, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Manfred Heckmann
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, Wuerzburg University, Röntgenring 9, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Khaled A S Al-Rasheid
- Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ingo Dreyer
- Center of Bioinformatics, Simulation and Modeling (CBSM), Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de Talca, 2 Norte 685, Talca 3460000, Chile
| | - Rainer Hedrich
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Biocenter, Wuerzburg University, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany.
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9
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Durak GM, Speck T, Poppinga S. Shapeshifting in the Venus flytrap ( Dionaea muscipula): Morphological and biomechanical adaptations and the potential costs of a failed hunting cycle. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:970320. [PMID: 36119615 PMCID: PMC9478607 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.970320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The evolutionary roots of carnivory in the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) stem from a defense response to plant injury caused by, e.g., herbivores. Dionaea muscipula aka. Darwin's most wonderful plant underwent extensive modification of leaves into snap-traps specialized for prey capture. Even the tiny seedlings of the Venus flytrap already produce fully functional, millimeter-sized traps. The trap size increases as the plant matures, enabling capture of larger prey. The movement of snap-traps is very fast (~100-300 ms) and is actuated by a combination of changes in the hydrostatic pressure of the leaf tissue with the release of prestress (embedded energy), triggering a snap-through of the trap lobes. This instability phenomenon is facilitated by the double curvature of the trap lobes. In contrast, trap reopening is a slower process dependent on trap size and morphology, heavily reliant on turgor and/or cell growth. Once a prey item is caught, the trap reconfigures its shape, seals itself off and forms a digestive cavity allowing the plant to release an enzymatic cocktail to draw nutrition from its captive. Interestingly, a failed attempt to capture prey can come at a heavy cost: the trap can break during reopening, thus losing its functionality. In this mini-review, we provide a detailed account of morphological adaptations and biomechanical processes involved in the trap movement during D. muscipula hunting cycle, and discuss possible reasons for and consequences of trap breakage. We also provide a brief introduction to the biological aspects underlying plant motion and their evolutionary background.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grażyna M. Durak
- Plant Biomechanics Group, Botanical Garden, Department of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Speck
- Plant Biomechanics Group, Botanical Garden, Department of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence livMatS @ FIT, Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Simon Poppinga
- Botanical Garden, Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
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Bazihizina N, Böhm J, Messerer M, Stigloher C, Müller HM, Cuin TA, Maierhofer T, Cabot J, Mayer KFX, Fella C, Huang S, Al-Rasheid KAS, Alquraishi S, Breadmore M, Mancuso S, Shabala S, Ache P, Zhang H, Zhu JK, Hedrich R, Scherzer S. Stalk cell polar ion transport provide for bladder-based salinity tolerance in Chenopodium quinoa. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 235:1822-1835. [PMID: 35510810 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Chenopodium quinoa uses epidermal bladder cells (EBCs) to sequester excess salt. Each EBC complex consists of a leaf epidermal cell, a stalk cell, and the bladder. Under salt stress, sodium (Na+ ), chloride (Cl- ), potassium (K+ ) and various metabolites are shuttled from the leaf lamina to the bladders. Stalk cells operate as both a selectivity filter and a flux controller. In line with the nature of a transfer cell, advanced transmission electron tomography, electrophysiology, and fluorescent tracer flux studies revealed the stalk cell's polar organization and bladder-directed solute flow. RNA sequencing and cluster analysis revealed the gene expression profiles of the stalk cells. Among the stalk cell enriched genes, ion channels and carriers as well as sugar transporters were most pronounced. Based on their electrophysiological fingerprint and thermodynamic considerations, a model for stalk cell transcellular transport was derived.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Bazihizina
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, Viale delle Idee 30, 50019, Florence, Italy
- College of Science and Engineering, Tasmanian Institute for Agriculture, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 54, Hobart, Tas., 7001, Australia
| | - Jennifer Böhm
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Wuerzburg, Julius-von-Sachs Platz 2, 97082, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Maxim Messerer
- Plant Genome and Systems Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Christian Stigloher
- Imaging Core Facility, Biocenter, University of Wuerzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Heike M Müller
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Wuerzburg, Julius-von-Sachs Platz 2, 97082, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Tracey Ann Cuin
- Biological Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tas., 7001, Australia
| | - Tobias Maierhofer
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Wuerzburg, Julius-von-Sachs Platz 2, 97082, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Joan Cabot
- Diagnostic Devices Unit, LEITAT Technological Center, Innovació 2, Terrasse, 0822, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Klaus F X Mayer
- Plant Genome and Systems Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Christian Fella
- Fraunhofer IIS, Nano CT Systeme, Josef-Martin-Weg 63, 97074, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Shouguang Huang
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Wuerzburg, Julius-von-Sachs Platz 2, 97082, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Khaled A S Al-Rasheid
- Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, PO Box 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saleh Alquraishi
- Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, PO Box 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Michael Breadmore
- School of Natural Sciences, Australian Centre for Research on Separation Sciences (ACROSS), University of Tasmania, Private Bag 75, Hobart, Tas., 7001, Australia
| | - Stefano Mancuso
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, Viale delle Idee 30, 50019, Florence, Italy
| | - Sergey Shabala
- College of Science and Engineering, Tasmanian Institute for Agriculture, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 54, Hobart, Tas., 7001, Australia
- International Research Centre for Membrane Biology, Foshan University, Foshan, 528000, China
| | - Peter Ache
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Wuerzburg, Julius-von-Sachs Platz 2, 97082, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Heng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Jian-Kang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Institute of Advanced Biotechnology and School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 1088, Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen, Nanshan District, China
| | - Rainer Hedrich
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Wuerzburg, Julius-von-Sachs Platz 2, 97082, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Sönke Scherzer
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Wuerzburg, Julius-von-Sachs Platz 2, 97082, Wuerzburg, Germany
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11
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Freund M, Graus D, Fleischmann A, Gilbert KJ, Lin Q, Renner T, Stigloher C, Albert VA, Hedrich R, Fukushima K. The digestive systems of carnivorous plants. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 190:44-59. [PMID: 35604105 PMCID: PMC9434158 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiac232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
To survive in the nutrient-poor habitats, carnivorous plants capture small organisms comprising complex substances not suitable for immediate reuse. The traps of carnivorous plants, which are analogous to the digestive systems of animals, are equipped with mechanisms for the breakdown and absorption of nutrients. Such capabilities have been acquired convergently over the past tens of millions of years in multiple angiosperm lineages by modifying plant-specific organs including leaves. The epidermis of carnivorous trap leaves bears groups of specialized cells called glands, which acquire substances from their prey via digestion and absorption. The digestive glands of carnivorous plants secrete mucilage, pitcher fluids, acids, and proteins, including digestive enzymes. The same (or morphologically distinct) glands then absorb the released compounds via various membrane transport proteins or endocytosis. Thus, these glands function in a manner similar to animal cells that are physiologically important in the digestive system, such as the parietal cells of the stomach and intestinal epithelial cells. Yet, carnivorous plants are equipped with strategies that deal with or incorporate plant-specific features, such as cell walls, epidermal cuticles, and phytohormones. In this review, we provide a systematic perspective on the digestive and absorptive capacity of convergently evolved carnivorous plants, with an emphasis on the forms and functions of glands.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Andreas Fleischmann
- Botanische Staatssammlung München and GeoBio-Center LMU, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Kadeem J Gilbert
- Department of Plant Biology & W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, Michigan 49060, USA
| | - Qianshi Lin
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Tanya Renner
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Christian Stigloher
- Imaging Core Facility of the Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Victor A Albert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14260, USA
| | - Rainer Hedrich
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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12
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Khan A, Khan V, Pandey K, Sopory SK, Sanan-Mishra N. Thermo-Priming Mediated Cellular Networks for Abiotic Stress Management in Plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:866409. [PMID: 35646001 PMCID: PMC9136941 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.866409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Plants can adapt to different environmental conditions and can survive even under very harsh conditions. They have developed elaborate networks of receptors and signaling components, which modulate their biochemistry and physiology by regulating the genetic information. Plants also have the abilities to transmit information between their different parts to ensure a holistic response to any adverse environmental challenge. One such phenomenon that has received greater attention in recent years is called stress priming. Any milder exposure to stress is used by plants to prime themselves by modifying various cellular and molecular parameters. These changes seem to stay as memory and prepare the plants to better tolerate subsequent exposure to severe stress. In this review, we have discussed the various ways in which plants can be primed and illustrate the biochemical and molecular changes, including chromatin modification leading to stress memory, with major focus on thermo-priming. Alteration in various hormones and their subsequent role during and after priming under various stress conditions imposed by changing climate conditions are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Neeti Sanan-Mishra
- Plant RNAi Biology Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
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13
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Ether anesthetics prevents touch-induced trigger hair calcium-electrical signals excite the Venus flytrap. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2851. [PMID: 35181728 PMCID: PMC8857258 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06915-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants do not have neurons but operate transmembrane ion channels and can get electrical excited by physical and chemical clues. Among them the Venus flytrap is characterized by its peculiar hapto-electric signaling. When insects collide with trigger hairs emerging the trap inner surface, the mechanical stimulus within the mechanosensory organ is translated into a calcium signal and an action potential (AP). Here we asked how the Ca2+ wave and AP is initiated in the trigger hair and how it is feed into systemic trap calcium-electrical networks. When Dionaea muscipula trigger hairs matures and develop hapto-electric excitability the mechanosensitive anion channel DmMSL10/FLYC1 and voltage dependent SKOR type Shaker K+ channel are expressed in the sheering stress sensitive podium. The podium of the trigger hair is interface to the flytrap's prey capture and processing networks. In the excitable state touch stimulation of the trigger hair evokes a rise in the podium Ca2+ first and before the calcium signal together with an action potential travel all over the trap surface. In search for podium ion channels and pumps mediating touch induced Ca2+ transients, we, in mature trigger hairs firing fast Ca2+ signals and APs, found OSCA1.7 and GLR3.6 type Ca2+ channels and ACA2/10 Ca2+ pumps specifically expressed in the podium. Like trigger hair stimulation, glutamate application to the trap directly evoked a propagating Ca2+ and electrical event. Given that anesthetics affect K+ channels and glutamate receptors in the animal system we exposed flytraps to an ether atmosphere. As result propagation of touch and glutamate induced Ca2+ and AP long-distance signaling got suppressed, while the trap completely recovered excitability when ether was replaced by fresh air. In line with ether targeting a calcium channel addressing a Ca2+ activated anion channel the AP amplitude declined before the electrical signal ceased completely. Ether in the mechanosensory organ did neither prevent the touch induction of a calcium signal nor this post stimulus decay. This finding indicates that ether prevents the touch activated, glr3.6 expressing base of the trigger hair to excite the capture organ.
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14
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Płachno BJ, Kapusta M, Stolarczyk P, Świątek P. Arabinogalactan Proteins in the Digestive Glands of Dionaea muscipula J.Ellis Traps. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030586. [PMID: 35159395 PMCID: PMC8833951 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The arabinogalactan proteins (AGP) play important roles in plant growth and developmental processes. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no information on the spatial distribution of AGP in the plant organs and tissues of carnivorous plants during their carnivorous cycle. The Dionaea muscipula trap forms an "external stomach" and is equipped with an effective digestive-absorbing system. Because its digestive glands are composed of specialized cells, the hypothesis that their cell walls are also very specialized in terms of their composition (AGP) compared to the cell wall of the trap epidermal and parenchyma cells was tested. Another aim of this study was to determine whether there is a spatio-temporal distribution of the AGP in the digestive glands during the secretory cycle of D. muscipula. Antibodies that act against AGPs, including JIM8, JIM13 and JIM14, were used. The localization of the examined compounds was determined using immunohistochemistry techniques and immunogold labeling. In both the un-fed and fed traps, there was an accumulation of AGP in the cell walls of the gland secretory cells. The epitope, which is recognized by JIM14, was a useful marker of the digestive glands. The secretory cells of the D. muscipula digestive glands are transfer cells and an accumulation of specific AGP was at the site where the cell wall labyrinth occurred. Immunogold labeling confirmed an occurrence of AGP in the cell wall ingrowths. There were differences in the AGP occurrence (labeled with JIM8 and JIM13) in the cell walls of the gland secretory cells between the unfed and fed traps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bartosz J. Płachno
- Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Institute of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, 9 Gronostajowa St., 30-387 Kraków, Poland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-12-664-60-39
| | - Małgorzata Kapusta
- Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, 59 Wita Stwosza St., 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland;
| | - Piotr Stolarczyk
- Department of Botany, Physiology and Plant Protection, Faculty of Biotechnology and Horticulture, University of Agriculture in Kraków, 29 Listopada 54 Ave., 31-425 Kraków, Poland;
| | - Piotr Świątek
- Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, 9 Bankowa St., 40-007 Katowice, Poland;
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15
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Exploring the interaction mechanism between antagonist and the jasmonate receptor complex by molecular dynamics simulation. J Comput Aided Mol Des 2022; 36:141-155. [DOI: 10.1007/s10822-022-00441-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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16
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Böhm J, Scherzer S. Signaling and transport processes related to the carnivorous lifestyle of plants living on nutrient-poor soil. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 187:2017-2031. [PMID: 35235668 PMCID: PMC8890503 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
In Eukaryotes, long-distance and rapid signal transmission is required in order to be able to react fast and flexibly to external stimuli. This long-distance signal transmission cannot take place by diffusion of signal molecules from the site of perception to the target tissue, as their speed is insufficient. Therefore, for adequate stimulus transmission, plants as well as animals make use of electrical signal transmission, as this can quickly cover long distances. This update summarises the most important advances in plant electrical signal transduction with a focus on the carnivorous Venus flytrap. It highlights the different types of electrical signals, examines their underlying ion fluxes and summarises the carnivorous processes downstream of the electrical signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Böhm
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sönke Scherzer
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
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17
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Hedrich R, Fukushima K. On the Origin of Carnivory: Molecular Physiology and Evolution of Plants on an Animal Diet. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PLANT BIOLOGY 2021; 72:133-153. [PMID: 33434053 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-080620-010429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Charles Darwin recognized that carnivorous plants thrive in nutrient-poor soil by capturing animals. Although the concept of botanical carnivory has been known for nearly 150 years, its molecular mechanisms and evolutionary origins have not been well understood until recently. In the last decade, technical advances have fueled the genome and transcriptome sequencings of active and passive hunters, leading to a better understanding of the traits associated with the carnivorous syndrome, from trap leaf development and prey digestion to nutrient absorption, exemplified, for example, by the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), pitcher plant (Cephalotus follicularis), and bladderwort (Utricularia gibba). The repurposing of defense-related genes is an important trend in the evolution of plant carnivory. In this review, using the Venus flytrap as a representative of the carnivorous plants, we summarize the molecular mechanisms underlying their ability to attract, trap, and digest prey and discuss the origins of plant carnivory in relation to their genomic evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rainer Hedrich
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, 97082 Würzburg, Germany; ,
| | - Kenji Fukushima
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, 97082 Würzburg, Germany; ,
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18
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Bauer U, Müller UK, Poppinga S. Complexity and diversity of motion amplification and control strategies in motile carnivorous plant traps. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210771. [PMID: 34036802 PMCID: PMC8150269 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Similar to animals, plants have evolved mechanisms for elastic energy storage and release to power and control rapid motion, yet both groups have been largely studied in isolation. This is exacerbated by the lack of consistent terminology and conceptual frameworks describing elastically powered motion in both groups. Iconic examples of fast movements can be found in carnivorous plants, which have become important models to study biomechanics, developmental processes, evolution and ecology. Trapping structures and processes vary considerably between different carnivorous plant groups. Using snap traps, suction traps and springboard-pitfall traps as examples, we illustrate how traps mix and match various mechanisms to power, trigger and actuate motions that contribute to prey capture, retention and digestion. We highlight a fundamental trade-off between energetic investment and movement control and discuss it in a functional-ecological context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Bauer
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Ulrike K Müller
- Department of Biology, California State University Fresno, Fresno, CA, USA
| | - Simon Poppinga
- Plant Biomechanics Group, Botanic Garden, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence livMatS @ FIT-Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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19
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Recent Progress on Plant-Inspired Soft Robotics with Hydrogel Building Blocks: Fabrication, Actuation and Application. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:mi12060608. [PMID: 34074051 PMCID: PMC8225014 DOI: 10.3390/mi12060608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Millions of years’ evolution has imparted life on earth with excellent environment adaptability. Of particular interest to scientists are some plants capable of macroscopically and reversibly altering their morphological and mechanical properties in response to external stimuli from the surrounding environment. These intriguing natural phenomena and underlying actuation mechanisms have provided important design guidance and principles for man-made soft robotic systems. Constructing bio-inspired soft robotic systems with effective actuation requires the efficient supply of mechanical energy generated from external inputs, such as temperature, light, and electricity. By combining bio-inspired designs with stimuli-responsive materials, various intelligent soft robotic systems that demonstrate promising and exciting results have been developed. As one of the building materials for soft robotics, hydrogels are gaining increasing attention owing to their advantageous properties, such as ultra-tunable modulus, high compliance, varying stimuli-responsiveness, good biocompatibility, and high transparency. In this review article, we summarize the recent progress on plant-inspired soft robotics assembled by stimuli-responsive hydrogels with a particular focus on their actuation mechanisms, fabrication, and application. Meanwhile, some critical challenges and problems associated with current hydrogel-based soft robotics are briefly introduced, and possible solutions are proposed. We expect that this review would provide elementary tutorial guidelines to audiences who are interested in the study on nature-inspired soft robotics, especially hydrogel-based intelligent soft robotic systems.
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20
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Action potentials induce biomagnetic fields in carnivorous Venus flytrap plants. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1438. [PMID: 33446898 PMCID: PMC7809347 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81114-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Upon stimulation, plants elicit electrical signals that can travel within a cellular network analogous to the animal nervous system. It is well-known that in the human brain, voltage changes in certain regions result from concerted electrical activity which, in the form of action potentials (APs), travels within nerve-cell arrays. Electro- and magnetophysiological techniques like electroencephalography, magnetoencephalography, and magnetic resonance imaging are used to record this activity and to diagnose disorders. Here we demonstrate that APs in a multicellular plant system produce measurable magnetic fields. Using atomic optically pumped magnetometers, biomagnetism associated with electrical activity in the carnivorous Venus flytrap, Dionaea muscipula, was recorded. Action potentials were induced by heat stimulation and detected both electrically and magnetically. Furthermore, the thermal properties of ion channels underlying the AP were studied. Beyond proof of principle, our findings pave the way to understanding the molecular basis of biomagnetism in living plants. In the future, magnetometry may be used to study long-distance electrical signaling in a variety of plant species, and to develop noninvasive diagnostics of plant stress and disease.
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21
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Mano H, Hasebe M. Rapid movements in plants. JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH 2021; 134:3-17. [PMID: 33415544 PMCID: PMC7817606 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-020-01243-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Plant movements are generally slow, but some plant species have evolved the ability to move very rapidly at speeds comparable to those of animals. Whereas movement in animals relies on the contraction machinery of muscles, many plant movements use turgor pressure as the primary driving force together with secondarily generated elastic forces. The movement of stomata is the best-characterized model system for studying turgor-driven movement, and many gene products responsible for this movement, especially those related to ion transport, have been identified. Similar gene products were recently shown to function in the daily sleep movements of pulvini, the motor organs for macroscopic leaf movements. However, it is difficult to explain the mechanisms behind rapid multicellular movements as a simple extension of the mechanisms used for unicellular or slow movements. For example, water transport through plant tissues imposes a limit on the speed of plant movements, which becomes more severe as the size of the moving part increases. Rapidly moving traps in carnivorous plants overcome this limitation with the aid of the mechanical behaviors of their three-dimensional structures. In addition to a mechanism for rapid deformation, rapid multicellular movements also require a molecular system for rapid cell-cell communication, along with a mechanosensing system that initiates the response. Electrical activities similar to animal action potentials are found in many plant species, representing promising candidates for the rapid cell-cell signaling behind rapid movements, but the molecular entities of these electrical signals remain obscure. Here we review the current understanding of rapid plant movements with the aim of encouraging further biological studies into this fascinating, challenging topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroaki Mano
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Nishigonaka 38, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan.
- School of Life Science, Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Nishigonaka 38, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan.
- JST, PRESTO, Honcho 4-1-8, Kawaguchi, Saitama, 332-0012, Japan.
| | - Mitsuyasu Hasebe
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Nishigonaka 38, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan.
- School of Life Science, Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Nishigonaka 38, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan.
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22
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Channelrhodopsin-mediated optogenetics highlights a central role of depolarization-dependent plant proton pumps. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:20920-20925. [PMID: 32788371 PMCID: PMC7456130 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2005626117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
People for centuries are puzzled how living creatures like plants sense their environment. Plants employ electrical signals to communicate a cue-dependent local status between plants cells and organs. As a first response to biotic and abiotic stresses, the membrane potential of plant cells depolarizes. Recovery from the depolarized state, repolarization, was proposed to involve ion channels and pumps. Here, we established channelrhodopsin (ChR2)-based optogenetics in plants and learned that the plant plasma membrane H+-ATPase represents the major driver of membrane potential repolarization control during plant electrical signaling, rather than voltage-dependent ion channels. In plants, environmental stressors trigger plasma membrane depolarizations. Being electrically interconnected via plasmodesmata, proper functional dissection of electrical signaling by electrophysiology is basically impossible. The green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii evolved blue light-excited channelrhodopsins (ChR1, 2) to navigate. When expressed in excitable nerve and muscle cells, ChRs can be used to control the membrane potential via illumination. In Arabidopsis plants, we used the algal ChR2-light switches as tools to stimulate plasmodesmata-interconnected photosynthetic cell networks by blue light and monitor the subsequent plasma membrane electrical responses. Blue-dependent stimulations of ChR2 expressing mesophyll cells, resting around −160 to −180 mV, reproducibly depolarized the membrane potential by 95 mV on average. Following excitation, mesophyll cells recovered their prestimulus potential not without transiently passing a hyperpolarization state. By combining optogenetics with voltage-sensing microelectrodes, we demonstrate that plant plasma membrane AHA-type H+-ATPase governs the gross repolarization process. AHA2 protein biochemistry and functional expression analysis in Xenopus oocytes indicates that the capacity of this H+ pump to recharge the membrane potential is rooted in its voltage- and pH-dependent functional anatomy. Thus, ChR2 optogenetics appears well suited to noninvasively expose plant cells to signal specific depolarization signatures. From the responses we learn about the molecular processes, plants employ to channel stress-associated membrane excitations into physiological responses.
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23
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Farmer EE, Gao YQ, Lenzoni G, Wolfender JL, Wu Q. Wound- and mechanostimulated electrical signals control hormone responses. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 227:1037-1050. [PMID: 32392391 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Plants in nature are constantly exposed to organisms that touch them and wound them. A highly conserved response to these stimuli is a rapid collapse of membrane potential (i.e. a decrease of electrical field strength across membranes). This can be coupled to the production and/or action of jasmonate or ethylene. Here, the various types of electrical signals in plants are discussed in the context of hormone responses. Genetic approaches are revealing genes involved in wound-induced electrical signalling. These include clade 3 GLUTAMATE RECEPTOR-LIKE (GLR) genes, Arabidopsis H+ -ATPases (AHAs), RESPIRATORY BURST OXIDASE HOMOLOGUEs (RBOHs), and genes that determine cell wall properties. We briefly review touch- and wound-induced increases in cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations and their temporal relationship to electrical activities. We then look at the questions that need addressing to link mechanostimulation and wound-induced electrical activity to hormone responses. Utilizing recently published results, we also present a hypothesis for wound-response leaf-to-leaf electrical signalling. This model is based on rapid electro-osmotic coupling between the phloem and xylem. The model suggests that the depolarization of membranes within the vascular matrix triggered by physical stimuli and/or chemical elicitors is linked to changes in phloem turgor and that this plays vital roles in leaf-to-leaf electrical signal propagation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward E Farmer
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Yong-Qiang Gao
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Gioia Lenzoni
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, Geneva 4, CH-1211, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Luc Wolfender
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, Geneva 4, CH-1211, Switzerland
| | - Qian Wu
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
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24
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A single touch can provide sufficient mechanical stimulation to trigger Venus flytrap closure. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000740. [PMID: 32649659 PMCID: PMC7351144 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The carnivorous Venus flytrap catches prey by an ingenious snapping mechanism. Based on work over nearly 200 years, it has become generally accepted that two touches of the trap’s sensory hairs within 30 s, each one generating an action potential, are required to trigger closure of the trap. We developed an electromechanical model, which, however, suggests that under certain circumstances one touch is sufficient to generate two action potentials. Using a force-sensing microrobotic system, we precisely quantified the sensory-hair deflection parameters necessary to trigger trap closure and correlated them with the elicited action potentials in vivo. Our results confirm the model’s predictions, suggesting that the Venus flytrap may be adapted to a wider range of prey movements than previously assumed. It is generally accepted that two touches of the Venus flytrap’s sensory hairs within 30 seconds are required to trigger closure of the trap. Here, however, quantification of the plant’s sensory hair deflection parameters reveals that one stimulus is sufficient.
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25
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Pedersen O, Revsbech NP, Shabala S. Microsensors in plant biology: in vivo visualization of inorganic analytes with high spatial and/or temporal resolution. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2020; 71:3941-3954. [PMID: 32253437 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraa175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
This Expert View provides an update on the recent development of new microsensors, and briefly summarizes some novel applications of existing microsensors, in plant biology research. Two major topics are covered: (i) sensors for gaseous analytes (O2, CO2, and H2S); and (ii) those for measuring concentrations and fluxes of ions (macro- and micronutrients and environmental pollutants such as heavy metals). We show that application of such microsensors may significantly advance understanding of mechanisms of plant-environmental interaction and regulation of plant developmental and adaptive responses under adverse environmental conditions via non-destructive visualization of key analytes with high spatial and/or temporal resolution. Examples included cover a broad range of environmental situations including hypoxia, salinity, and heavy metal toxicity. We highlight the power of combining microsensor technology with other advanced biophysical (patch-clamp, voltage-clamp, and single-cell pressure probe), imaging (MRI and fluorescent dyes), and genetic techniques and approaches. We conclude that future progress in the field may be achieved by applying existing microsensors for important signalling molecules such as NO and H2O2, by improving selectivity of existing microsensors for some key analytes (e.g. Na, Mg, and Zn), and by developing new microsensors for P.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ole Pedersen
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Australia
| | - Niels Peter Revsbech
- Aarhus University Centre for Water Technology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Sergey Shabala
- School of Land and Food, University of Tasmania, Australia
- International Research Centre for Environmental Membrane Biology, Foshan University, China
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26
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Palfalvi G, Hackl T, Terhoeven N, Shibata TF, Nishiyama T, Ankenbrand M, Becker D, Förster F, Freund M, Iosip A, Kreuzer I, Saul F, Kamida C, Fukushima K, Shigenobu S, Tamada Y, Adamec L, Hoshi Y, Ueda K, Winkelmann T, Fuchs J, Schubert I, Schwacke R, Al-Rasheid K, Schultz J, Hasebe M, Hedrich R. Genomes of the Venus Flytrap and Close Relatives Unveil the Roots of Plant Carnivory. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2312-2320.e5. [PMID: 32413308 PMCID: PMC7308799 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Most plants grow and develop by taking up nutrients from the soil while continuously under threat from foraging animals. Carnivorous plants have turned the tables by capturing and consuming nutrient-rich animal prey, enabling them to thrive in nutrient-poor soil. To better understand the evolution of botanical carnivory, we compared the draft genome of the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) with that of its aquatic sister, the waterwheel plant Aldrovanda vesiculosa, and the sundew Drosera spatulata. We identified an early whole-genome duplication in the family as source for carnivory-associated genes. Recruitment of genes to the trap from the root especially was a major mechanism in the evolution of carnivory, supported by family-specific duplications. Still, these genomes belong to the gene poorest land plants sequenced thus far, suggesting reduction of selective pressure on different processes, including non-carnivorous nutrient acquisition. Our results show how non-carnivorous plants evolved into the most skillful green hunters on the planet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergo Palfalvi
- National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan; Department of Basic Biology, The Graduate School for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Thomas Hackl
- Department for Bioinformatics, Biocenter, University Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany; Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Niklas Terhoeven
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany; Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology, Faculty for Biology, University Würzburg, Klara-Oppenheimer-Weg 32, Campus Hubland Nord, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Tomoaki Nishiyama
- Advanced Science Research Center, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-0934, Japan
| | - Markus Ankenbrand
- Department for Bioinformatics, Biocenter, University Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany; Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology, Faculty for Biology, University Würzburg, Klara-Oppenheimer-Weg 32, Campus Hubland Nord, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Dirk Becker
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Frank Förster
- Department for Bioinformatics, Biocenter, University Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany; Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology, Faculty for Biology, University Würzburg, Klara-Oppenheimer-Weg 32, Campus Hubland Nord, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Freund
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany; Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology, Faculty for Biology, University Würzburg, Klara-Oppenheimer-Weg 32, Campus Hubland Nord, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Anda Iosip
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany; Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology, Faculty for Biology, University Würzburg, Klara-Oppenheimer-Weg 32, Campus Hubland Nord, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ines Kreuzer
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Franziska Saul
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany; Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology, Faculty for Biology, University Würzburg, Klara-Oppenheimer-Weg 32, Campus Hubland Nord, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Chiharu Kamida
- National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan; Department of Basic Biology, The Graduate School for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Kenji Fukushima
- National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan; Department of Basic Biology, The Graduate School for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan; Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Shuji Shigenobu
- National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan; Department of Basic Biology, The Graduate School for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Yosuke Tamada
- National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan; Department of Basic Biology, The Graduate School for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan; School of Engineering, Utsunomiya University, Utsunomiya 321-8585, Japan
| | - Lubomir Adamec
- Department of Functional Ecology, Institute of Botany CAS, 379 01 Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Yoshikazu Hoshi
- Department of Plant Science, School of Agriculture, Tokai University, Kumamoto 862-8652, Japan
| | - Kunihiko Ueda
- Faculty of Education, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| | - Traud Winkelmann
- Institute of Horticultural Production Systems, Woody Plant and Propagation Physiology, Leibniz University Hannover, Herrenhäuser Str. 2, 30419 Hannover, Germany
| | - Jörg Fuchs
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Ingo Schubert
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Rainer Schwacke
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences (IBG-2: Plant Sciences), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Corrensstraße 3, 06466 Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Khaled Al-Rasheid
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany; Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jörg Schultz
- Department for Bioinformatics, Biocenter, University Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany; Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology, Faculty for Biology, University Würzburg, Klara-Oppenheimer-Weg 32, Campus Hubland Nord, 97074 Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Mitsuyasu Hasebe
- National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan; Department of Basic Biology, The Graduate School for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan.
| | - Rainer Hedrich
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany.
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Zhu Y, Zhang J, Wu Q, Chen M, Huang G, Zheng J, Wu J. Three-Dimensional Programmable, Reconfigurable, and Recyclable Biomass Soft Actuators Enabled by Designing an Inverse Opal-Mimetic Structure with Exchangeable Interfacial Crosslinks. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:15757-15764. [PMID: 32163262 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c02722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Despite the unceasing flourishing of intelligent actuators, it still remains a huge challenge to design mechanically robust soft actuators with the characteristics of three-dimensional (3D) programmability, reconfigurability, and recyclability. Here, we utilize fully bioderived natural polymers to fabricate biomass soft actuators (BioSA) integrating all above features through an ingenious microstructure design. BioSA consists of an interconnected inverse opal-mimetic skeleton of sodium alginate (NaAlg) and a continuous matrix of epoxidized natural rubber (ENR), with exchangeable β-hydroxyl ester linkages at their interfaces. The hydrophilic nature and interconnected structure of the NaAlg skeleton endow BioSA with exceedingly acute humidity response and robust mechanical properties. Meanwhile, the dynamic nature of β-hydroxyl ester linkages enables the design of complex 3D structured soft actuators with reconfigurability and recyclability. Since both ENR and NaAlg are derived from natural resources, and the water-based manufacturing process is extremely facile and environmentally friendly, this work provides a novel strategy to fabricate 3D programmable intelligent actuators with both robust mechanical properties and sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Junqi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Qi Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Mokun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Guangsu Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Jing Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Jinrong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
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Maurer D, Weber D, Ballering E, Alfarraj S, Albasher G, Hedrich R, Werner C, Rennenberg H. Photosynthetic cyclic electron transport provides ATP for homeostasis during trap closure in Dionaea muscipula. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2020; 125:485-494. [PMID: 31711177 PMCID: PMC7061167 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcz185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The processes connected with prey capture and the early consumption of prey by carnivorous Dionaea muscipula require high amounts of energy. The aim of the present study was to identify processes involved in flytrap energy provision and ATP homeostasis under these conditions. METHODS We determined photosynthetic CO2 uptake and chlorophyll fluorescence as well as the dynamics of ATP contents in the snap traps upon closure with and without prey. KEY RESULTS The results indicate that upon prey capture, a transient switch from linear to cyclic electron transport mediates a support of ATP homeostasis. Beyond 4 h after prey capture, prey resources contribute to the traps' ATP pool and, 24 h after prey capture, export of prey-derived resources to other plant organs may become preferential and causes a decline in ATP contents. CONCLUSIONS Apparently, the energy demand of the flytrap for prey digestion and nutrient mining builds on both internal and prey-derived resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Maurer
- Chair of Tree Physiology, Institute of Forest Sciences, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Weber
- Phytoprove Plant Analytics UG, Senckenberg Biodiversity & Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Eva Ballering
- Chair of Tree Physiology, Institute of Forest Sciences, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Chair of Ecosystem Physiology, Institute of Forest Sciences, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Salah Alfarraj
- College of Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Gada Albasher
- College of Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rainer Hedrich
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christiane Werner
- Chair of Ecosystem Physiology, Institute of Forest Sciences, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Heinz Rennenberg
- Chair of Tree Physiology, Institute of Forest Sciences, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- College of Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Pavlovič A, Libiaková M, Bokor B, Jakšová J, Petřík I, Novák O, Baluška F. Anaesthesia with diethyl ether impairs jasmonate signalling in the carnivorous plant Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula). ANNALS OF BOTANY 2020; 125:173-183. [PMID: 31677265 PMCID: PMC6948209 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcz177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS General anaesthetics are compounds that induce loss of responsiveness to environmental stimuli in animals and humans. The primary site of action of general anaesthetics is the nervous system, where anaesthetics inhibit neuronal transmission. Although plants do not have neurons, they generate electrical signals in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Here, we investigated the effect of the general volatile anaesthetic diethyl ether on the ability to sense potential prey or herbivore attacks in the carnivorous plant Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula). METHODS We monitored trap movement, electrical signalling, phytohormone accumulation and gene expression in response to the mechanical stimulation of trigger hairs and wounding under diethyl ether treatment. KEY RESULTS Diethyl ether completely inhibited the generation of action potentials and trap closing reactions, which were easily and rapidly restored when the anaesthetic was removed. Diethyl ether also inhibited the later response: jasmonic acid (JA) accumulation and expression of JA-responsive genes (cysteine protease dionain and type I chitinase). However, external application of JA bypassed the inhibited action potentials and restored gene expression under diethyl ether anaesthesia, indicating that downstream reactions from JA are not inhibited. CONCLUSIONS The Venus flytrap cannot sense prey or a herbivore attack under diethyl ether treatment caused by inhibited action potentials, and the JA signalling pathway as a consequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrej Pavlovič
- Department of Biophysics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Michaela Libiaková
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova 6, Mlynská dolina, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Boris Bokor
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova 6, Mlynská dolina, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Comenius University Science Park, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jana Jakšová
- Department of Biophysics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan Petřík
- Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Faculty of Science, Palacký University and Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Šlechtitelů, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Novák
- Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Faculty of Science, Palacký University and Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Šlechtitelů, Olomouc, Czech Republic
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Jakšová J, Libiaková M, Bokor B, Petřík I, Novák O, Pavlovič A. Taste for protein: Chemical signal from prey stimulates enzyme secretion through jasmonate signalling in the carnivorous plant Venus flytrap. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2020; 146:90-97. [PMID: 31734521 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2019.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Hunting cycle of the carnivorous plant Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula Ellis) is comprised of mechanism for rapid trap closure followed by slow hermetical sealing and activation of gene expression responsible for digestion of prey and nutrient uptake. In the present study, we focus on the late phase of Venus's flytrap hunting cycle when mechanical stimulation of the prey ceases and is replaced by chemical cues. We used two nitrogen-rich compounds (chitin and protein) in addition to mechanostimulation to investigate the electrical and jasmonate signalling responsible for induction of enzyme activities. Chemical stimulation by BSA protein and chitin did not induce any additional spontaneous action potentials (APs). However, chemical stimulation by protein induced the highest levels of jasmonic acid (JA) and its isoleucine conjugate (JA-Ile) as well as the expression of studied gene encoding a cysteine protease (dionain). Although chitin is probably the first chemical agent which is in direct contact with digestive glands, presence of protein in the secured trap mimics the presence of insect prey best.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Jakšová
- Department of Biophysics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 27, CZ-783 71, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Michaela Libiaková
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova 6, Mlynská dolina B2, SK-842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Boris Bokor
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova 6, Mlynská dolina B2, SK-842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia; Comenius University Science Park, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova 8, SK-841 04, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ivan Petřík
- Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Faculty of Science, Palacký University & Institute of Experimental Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Šlechtitelů 27, CZ-78371, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Novák
- Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Faculty of Science, Palacký University & Institute of Experimental Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Šlechtitelů 27, CZ-78371, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Andrej Pavlovič
- Department of Biophysics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 27, CZ-783 71, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
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Morris RJ, Blyth M. How water flow, geometry, and material properties drive plant movements. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2019; 70:3549-3560. [PMID: 31112593 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erz167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Plants are dynamic. They adjust their shape for feeding, defence, and reproduction. Such plant movements are critical for their survival. We present selected examples covering a range of movements from single cell to tissue level and over a range of time scales. We focus on reversible turgor-driven shape changes. Recent insights into the mechanisms of stomata, bladderwort, the waterwheel, and the Venus flytrap are presented. The underlying physical principles (turgor, osmosis, membrane permeability, wall stress, snap buckling, and elastic instability) are highlighted, and advances in our understanding of these processes are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Morris
- Computational and Systems Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK
| | - Mark Blyth
- School of Mathematics, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
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Scherzer S, Federle W, Al-Rasheid KAS, Hedrich R. Venus flytrap trigger hairs are micronewton mechano-sensors that can detect small insect prey. NATURE PLANTS 2019; 5:670-675. [PMID: 31285557 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-019-0465-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Venus flytraps detect moving insects via highly sensitive, action potential (AP)-producing trigger hairs, which act as high-sensitivity levers, crucial for prey capture and digestion. Controlled stimulation revealed that they can trigger APs for deflections >2.9°, angular velocities >3.4° s-1 and forces >29 µN. Hairs became desensitized and subsequently responded to fast consecutive stimulations; desensitization increased at lower temperatures. Recording of ant trigger hair contact events revealed that even small insects exceed the hairs' sensitivity threshold.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Scherzer
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.
| | - W Federle
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - K A S Al-Rasheid
- Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - R Hedrich
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.
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Baluška F, Mancuso S. Actin Cytoskeleton and Action Potentials: Forgotten Connections. THE CYTOSKELETON 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-33528-1_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Gergely ZR, Martinez DE, Donohoe BS, Mogelsvang S, Herder R, Staehelin LA. 3D electron tomographic and biochemical analysis of ER, Golgi and trans Golgi network membrane systems in stimulated Venus flytrap ( Dionaea muscipula) glandular cells. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH (THESSALONIKE, GREECE) 2018; 25:15. [PMID: 30116723 PMCID: PMC6083566 DOI: 10.1186/s40709-018-0086-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The insect-trapping leaves of Dionaea muscipula provide a model for studying the secretory pathway of an inducible plant secretory system. The leaf glands were induced with bovine serum albumin to secrete proteases that were characterized via zymogram activity gels over a 6-day period. The accompanying morphological changes of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi were analyzed using 3D electron tomography of glands preserved by high-pressure freezing/freeze substitution methods. RESULTS Secretion of multiple cysteine and aspartic proteases occurred biphasically. The majority of the Golgi was organized in clusters consisting of 3-6 stacks surrounded by a cage-like system of ER cisternae. In these clusters, all Golgi stacks were oriented with their cis-most C1 cisterna facing an ER export site. The C1 Golgi cisternae varied in size and shape consistent with the hypothesis that they form de novo. Following induction, the number of ER-bound polysomes doubled, but no increase in COPII vesicles was observed. Golgi changes included a reduction in the number of cisternae per stack and a doubling of cisternal volume without increased surface area. Polysaccharide molecules that form the sticky slime cause swelling of the trans and trans Golgi network (TGN) cisternae. Peeling of the trans-most cisternae gives rise to free TGN cisternae. One day after gland stimulation, the free TGNs were frequently associated with loose groups of oriented actin-like filaments which were not seen in any other samples. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the secretory apparatus of resting gland cells is "overbuilt" to enable the cells to rapidly up-regulate lytic enzyme production and secretion in response to prey trapping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary R. Gergely
- MCD Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Campus Box 347, Boulder, CO 80309 USA
| | - Dana E. Martinez
- Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal (INFIVE), Universidad Nacional de La Plata–CONICET CC 327, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Bryon S. Donohoe
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO 80401 USA
| | - Soren Mogelsvang
- Exxel Pharma, Inc, 12635 E Montview Blvd, Suite 100, Aurora, CO 80045 USA
| | - Rachel Herder
- Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, One Market Plaza, Spear Tower, Ste 3300, San Francisco, CA 94105 USA
| | - L. Andrew Staehelin
- MCD Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Campus Box 347, Boulder, CO 80309 USA
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Yokawa K, Kagenishi T, Pavlovič A, Gall S, Weiland M, Mancuso S, Baluška F. Anaesthetics stop diverse plant organ movements, affect endocytic vesicle recycling and ROS homeostasis, and block action potentials in Venus flytraps. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2018; 122:747-756. [PMID: 29236942 PMCID: PMC6215046 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcx155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Background and Aims Anaesthesia for medical purposes was introduced in the 19th century. However, the physiological mode of anaesthetic drug actions on the nervous system remains unclear. One of the remaining questions is how these different compounds, with no structural similarities and even chemically inert elements such as the noble gas xenon, act as anaesthetic agents inducing loss of consciousness. The main goal here was to determine if anaesthetics affect the same or similar processes in plants as in animals and humans. Methods A single-lens reflex camera was used to follow organ movements in plants before, during and after recovery from exposure to diverse anaesthetics. Confocal microscopy was used to analyse endocytic vesicle trafficking. Electrical signals were recorded using a surface AgCl electrode. Key Results Mimosa leaves, pea tendrils, Venus flytraps and sundew traps all lost both their autonomous and touch-induced movements after exposure to anaesthetics. In Venus flytrap, this was shown to be due to the loss of action potentials under diethyl ether anaesthesia. The same concentration of diethyl ether immobilized pea tendrils. Anaesthetics also impeded seed germination and chlorophyll accumulation in cress seedlings. Endocytic vesicle recycling and reactive oxygen species (ROS) balance, as observed in intact Arabidopsis root apex cells, were also affected by all anaesthetics tested. Conclusions Plants are sensitive to several anaesthetics that have no structural similarities. As in animals and humans, anaesthetics used at appropriate concentrations block action potentials and immobilize organs via effects on action potentials, endocytic vesicle recycling and ROS homeostasis. Plants emerge as ideal model objects to study general questions related to anaesthesia, as well as to serve as a suitable test system for human anaesthesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Yokawa
- IZMB, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Center for Bioscience Research and Education, Utsunomiya University, Tochigi, Japan
| | - T Kagenishi
- IZMB, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Center for Bioscience Research and Education, Utsunomiya University, Tochigi, Japan
| | - A Pavlovič
- Department of Biophysics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - S Gall
- IZMB, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - M Weiland
- IZMB, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Plant, Soil and Environmental Science & LINV, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - S Mancuso
- Department of Plant, Soil and Environmental Science & LINV, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - F Baluška
- IZMB, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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Saganová M, Bokor B, Stolárik T, Pavlovič A. Regulation of enzyme activities in carnivorous pitcher plants of the genus Nepenthes. PLANTA 2018; 248:451-464. [PMID: 29767335 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-018-2917-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Nepenthes regulates enzyme activities by sensing stimuli from the insect prey. Protein is the best inductor mimicking the presence of an insect prey. Carnivorous plants of the genus Nepenthes have evolved passive pitcher traps for prey capture. In this study, we investigated the ability of chemical signals from a prey (chitin, protein, and ammonium) to induce transcription and synthesis of digestive enzymes in Nepenthes × Mixta. We used real-time PCR and specific antibodies generated against the aspartic proteases nepenthesins, and type III and type IV chitinases to investigate the induction of digestive enzyme synthesis in response to different chemical stimuli from the prey. Transcription of nepenthesins was strongly induced by ammonium, protein and live prey; chitin induced transcription only very slightly. This is in accordance with the amount of released enzyme and proteolytic activity in the digestive fluid. Although transcription of type III chitinase was induced by all investigated stimuli, a significant accumulation of the enzyme in the digestive fluid was found mainly after protein and live prey addition. Protein and live prey were also the best inducers for accumulation of type IV chitinase in the digestive fluid. Although ammonium strongly induced transcription of all investigated genes probably through membrane depolarization, strong acidification of the digestive fluid affected stability and abundance of both chitinases in the digestive fluid. The study showed that the proteins are universal inductors of enzyme activities in carnivorous pitcher plants best mimicking the presence of insect prey. This is not surprising, because proteins are a much valuable source of nitrogen, superior to chitin. Extensive vesicular activity was observed in prey-activated glands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Saganová
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova 6, Mlynská dolina B2, 842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Boris Bokor
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova 6, Mlynská dolina B2, 842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Comenius University Science Park, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova 8, 841 04, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Tibor Stolárik
- Department of Plant Physiology, Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 23, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Department of Biophysics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 783 71, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Andrej Pavlovič
- Department of Biophysics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 783 71, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
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Hedrich R. From Darwin to today: what modern biology tells us about the life of the green flesh-eater. Curr Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.04.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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Vuralhan-Eckert J, Lautner S, Fromm J. Effect of simultaneously induced environmental stimuli on electrical signalling and gas exchange in maize plants. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 223:32-36. [PMID: 29471273 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2018.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Electrical signalling in response to environmental stimuli is a well-known phenomenon in higher plants. For example, in maize, different stimuli, such as wounding or re-irrigation after drought, incite characteristic electrical signals which have quite particular effects on gas exchange. What is less well understood is how plants (specifically maize) respond when two different environmental stimuli are applied simultaneously. To explore this, a three-stage experiment was designed. In the first stage, drought conditions were simulated by decreasing the soil water content to 30-40 % of field capacity. In these conditions, and in contrast to well-watered plants, the maize exhibited only 60-70% of the original level of stomatal conductance and 50-60 % of the original photosynthesis rate. In the second stage of the experiment the plants were re-irrigated and heat stimulated separately. Re-irrigation led to specific electrical signals followed by a gradual increase of gas exchange. In contrast, after heat stimulation of a leaf an electrical signal was evoked that reduced the net CO2-uptake rate as well as stomatal conductance. In the third stage, to elucidate how plants process simultaneous re-irrigation and heat stimulation, the drought-stressed maize plants were re-watered and heat-stimulated at the same time. Results showed a two phase response. In the first phase there was a rapid decrease in both the CO2 uptake rate and the stomatal conductance, while in the second phase each of these parameters increased gradually. Thus, the results strongly support the view that the responses from both stimuli were combined, indicating that maize plants can process simultaneously applied stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Silke Lautner
- Institute for Wood Biology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Applied Wood Biology, Faculty of Wood Science and Technology, Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Schicklerstraße 5, 16225 Eberswalde, Germany
| | - Jörg Fromm
- Institute for Wood Biology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
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Hedrich R, Neher E. Venus Flytrap: How an Excitable, Carnivorous Plant Works. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 23:220-234. [PMID: 29336976 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2017.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The carnivorous plant Dionaea possesses very sensitive mechanoreceptors. Upon contact with prey an action potential is triggered which, via an electrical network - comparable to the nervous system of vertebrates - rapidly closes its bivalved trap. The 'hunting cycle' comprises a constitutively activated mechanism for the rapid capture of prey, followed by a well-orchestrated sequence of activation of genes responsible for tight trap closure, digestion of the prey, and uptake of nutrients. Decisions on the step-by-step activation are based on 'counting' the number of stimulations of sensory organs. These remarkable animal-like skills in the carnivore are achieved not by taking over genes from its prey but by modifying and rearranging the functions of genes that are ubiquitous in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rainer Hedrich
- Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius-von-Sachs Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Erwin Neher
- Department for Membrane Biophysics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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Kruse J, Gao P, Eibelmeier M, Alfarraj S, Rennenberg H. Dynamics of amino acid redistribution in the carnivorous Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) after digestion of 13 C/ 15 N-labelled prey. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2017; 19:886-895. [PMID: 28727249 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Amino acids represent an important component in the diet of the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), and supply plants with much needed nitrogen resources upon capture of insect prey. Little is known about the significance of prey-derived carbon backbones of amino acids for the success of Dionaea's carnivorous life-style. The present study aimed at characterizing the metabolic fate of 15 N and 13 C in amino acids acquired from double-labeled insect powder. We tracked changes in plant amino acid pools and their δ13 C- and δ15 N-signatures over a period of five weeks after feeding, as affected by contrasting feeding intensity and tissue type (i.e., fed and non-fed traps and attached petioles of Dionaea). Isotope signatures (i.e., δ13 C and δ15 N) of plant amino acid pools were strongly correlated, explaining 60% of observed variation. Residual variation was related to contrasting effects of tissue type, feeding intensity and elapsed time since feeding. Synthesis of nitrogen-rich transport compounds (i.e., amides) during peak time of prey digestion increased 15 N- relative to 13 C- abundances in amino acid pools. After completion of prey digestion, 13 C in amino acid pools was progressively exchanged for newly fixed 12 C. The latter process was most evident for non-fed traps and attached petioles of plants that had received ample insect powder. We argue that prey-derived amino acids contribute to respiratory energy gain and loss of 13 CO2 during conversion into transport compounds (i.e., 2 days after feeding), and that amino-nitrogen helps boost photosynthetic carbon gain later on (i.e., 5 weeks after feeding).
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Affiliation(s)
- J Kruse
- Institut für Forstbotanik und Baumphysiologie, Professur für Baumphysiologie, Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - P Gao
- Institut für Forstbotanik und Baumphysiologie, Professur für Baumphysiologie, Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - M Eibelmeier
- Institut für Forstbotanik und Baumphysiologie, Professur für Baumphysiologie, Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - S Alfarraj
- College of Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - H Rennenberg
- Institut für Forstbotanik und Baumphysiologie, Professur für Baumphysiologie, Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- College of Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Abstract
The Venus flytrap effectively detects, traps, digests and absorbs insect prey. A recent study links the mechanical stimulation of sensory hair cells with short- and long-term signalling giving rise to different downstream secretion events that bring about conditions for prey digestion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Brownlee
- Marine Biological Association, the Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK.
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