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Simonetti V, Ravazzolo L, Ruperti B, Quaggiotti S, Castiello U. A system for the study of roots 3D kinematics in hydroponic culture: a study on the oscillatory features of root tip. PLANT METHODS 2024; 20:50. [PMID: 38561757 PMCID: PMC10983651 DOI: 10.1186/s13007-024-01178-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The root of a plant is a fundamental organ for the multisensory perception of the environment. Investigating root growth dynamics as a mean of their interaction with the environment is of key importance for improving knowledge in plant behaviour, plant biology and agriculture. To date, it is difficult to study roots movements from a dynamic perspective given that available technologies for root imaging focus mostly on static characterizations, lacking temporal and three-dimensional (3D) spatial information. This paper describes a new system based on time-lapse for the 3D reconstruction and analysis of roots growing in hydroponics. RESULTS The system is based on infrared stereo-cameras acquiring time-lapse images of the roots for 3D reconstruction. The acquisition protocol guarantees the root growth in complete dark while the upper part of the plant grows in normal light conditions. The system extracts the 3D trajectory of the root tip and a set of descriptive features in both the temporal and frequency domains. The system has been used on Zea mays L. (B73) during the first week of growth and shows good inter-reliability between operators with an Intra Class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) > 0.9 for all features extracted. It also showed measurement accuracy with a median difference of < 1 mm between computed and manually measured root length. CONCLUSIONS The system and the protocol presented in this study enable accurate 3D analysis of primary root growth in hydroponics. It can serve as a valuable tool for analysing real-time root responses to environmental stimuli thus improving knowledge on the processes contributing to roots physiological and phenotypic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Ravazzolo
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Agripolis, Italy
| | - Benedetto Ruperti
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Agripolis, Italy
| | - Silvia Quaggiotti
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Agripolis, Italy
| | - Umberto Castiello
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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2
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Mylo MD, Poppinga S. Digital image correlation techniques for motion analysis and biomechanical characterization of plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 14:1335445. [PMID: 38273955 PMCID: PMC10808816 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1335445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Temporally and spatially complex 3D deformation processes appear in plants in a variety of ways and are difficult to quantify in detail by classical cinematographic methods. Furthermore, many biomechanical test methods, e.g. regarding compression or tension, result in quasi-2D deformations of the tested structure, which are very time-consuming to analyze manually regarding strain fields. In materials testing, the contact-free optical 2D- or 3D-digital image correlation method (2D/3D-DIC) is common practice for similar tasks, but is still rather seldom used in the fundamental biological sciences. The present review aims to highlight the possibilities of 2D/3D-DIC for the plant sciences. The equipment, software, and preparative prerequisites are introduced in detail and advantages and disadvantages are discussed. In addition to the analysis of wood and trees, where DIC has been used since the 1990s, this is demonstrated by numerous recent approaches in the contexts of parasite-host attachment, cactus joint biomechanics, fruit peel impact resistance, and slow as well as fast movement phenomena in cones and traps of carnivorous plants. Despite some technical and preparative efforts, DIC is a very powerful tool for full-field 2D/3D displacement and strain analyses of plant structures, which is suitable for numerous in-depth research questions in the fields of plant biomechanics and morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max D. Mylo
- Cluster of Excellence livMatS @ FIT – Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Microsystems Engineering – IMTEK, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Simon Poppinga
- Botanical Garden, Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
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3
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Kaduchová K, Čmiel V, Koláčková V, Pecinka A. EasyClick: an improved system for confocal microscopy of live roots with a user-optimized sample holder. PLANTA 2023; 259:22. [PMID: 38095727 PMCID: PMC10721658 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-023-04293-y] [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: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION We describe a user-optimized sample holder EasyClick for medium-sized plants that reduces root side movements and thus greatly extends the duration of live cell confocal microscopy. Preparation and mounting of the samples are key factors for successful live cell microscopy. To acquire biologically relevant data, it is necessary to minimize stress and avoid physical damage to plant tissues during the installation of the sample into the microscope. This is challenging, particularly when the whole plant is mounted as the living sample needs to be properly anchored in the microscopic system to obtain high-quality and high-resolution data. Here, we present a user-optimized sample holder EasyClick for live cell inverted confocal microscopic analysis of plant roots with diameters from 0.3 to 0.7 mm. The EasyClick holder was tested on an inverted confocal microscope using germinating plants of several cereals. Nevertheless, it can be directly used on other types of inverted microscopes from various producers and on different plant species. The EasyClick holder effectively restricts root lateral and vertical movements. This greatly improves the conditions for time-lapse microscopy of the samples of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kateřina Kaduchová
- Centre of Plant Structural and Functional Genomics, Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Šlechtitelů 31, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Vratislav Čmiel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication, Brno University of Technology, Technická 3082/12, 61600, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Veronika Koláčková
- Centre of Plant Structural and Functional Genomics, Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Šlechtitelů 31, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Ales Pecinka
- Centre of Plant Structural and Functional Genomics, Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Šlechtitelů 31, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
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4
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Colombi T, Eitelberg L, Kolb E, Legué V, Bogeat-Triboulot MB. Genotypic differences in systemic root responses to mechanical obstacles. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2023; 175:e14094. [PMID: 38148185 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.14094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
As roots grow through the soil to forage for water and nutrients, they encounter mechanical obstacles such as patches of dense soil and stones that locally impede root growth. Here, we investigated hitherto poorly understood systemic responses of roots to localised root impedance. Seedlings of two wheat genotypes were grown in hydroponics and exposed to impenetrable obstacles constraining the vertical growth of the primary or a single seminal root. We deployed high-resolution in vivo imaging to quantify temporal dynamics of root elongation rate, helical root movement, and root growth direction. The two genotypes exhibited distinctly different patterns of systemic responses to localised root impedance, suggesting different strategies to cope with obstacles, namely stress avoidance and stress tolerance. Shallower growth of unconstrained seminal roots and more pronounced helical movement of unconstrained primary and seminal roots upon localised root impedance characterised the avoidance strategy shown by one genotype. Stress tolerance to localised root impedance, as exhibited by the other genotype, was indicated by relatively fast elongation of primary roots and steeper seminal root growth. These different strategies highlight that the effects of mechanical obstacles on spatiotemporal root growth patterns can differ within species, which may have major implications for resource acquisition and whole-plant growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tino Colombi
- Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Leah Eitelberg
- Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Evelyne Kolb
- PMMH, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Valérie Legué
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, PIAF, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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5
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Ma D, Fukuda H, Sotta N, Fujiwara T. Arabidopsis thaliana RPL13aC affects root system architecture through shoot potassium accumulation. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 116:497-509. [PMID: 37433637 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
Plant root system architecture shows complex patterns adapting to different nutritional conditions. In Arabidopsis thaliana, root slanting is a behaviour that is observed when plants are grown on a solid agar plate vertically. However, the regulatory mechanisms of root slanting in response to nutrient conditions are not fully understood. In this study, we found that mutants of A. thaliana ribosome protein RPL13aC, which is expressed in root tips and leaves, exhibit a decreased root-slanting phenotype. Ionomic analysis revealed that rpl13ac mutants have a reduced K content in shoots but not in roots. Because K+ availability has been suggested to affect root coiling, we hypothesized that the decreased root slanting of rpl13ac mutants is caused by the decrease in K content in their shoots. Decapitating shoots or limiting K supply dramatically decreased root slanting in wild-type (WT) plants. We found that the expression of HIGH-AFFINITY K+ TRANSPORTER 5 (HAK5) significantly decreased in the roots of rpl13ac mutants. Mutants of hak5 showed decreased shoot K contents and decreased root slanting, supporting that the decreased shoot K+ accumulation results in less root slanting. K+ replenishment to the shoots of rpl13ac, hak5 mutants and K-starved WT plants recovered their root slanting significantly. These results indicate that plants adjust root slanting in response to K+ accumulation in shoots. Further analysis showed that rpl13ac mutants have abnormal thigmotropic responses, which may be responsible for their defects in root slanting. Altogether, these results revealed K+ -dependent mechanisms that affect root system architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dichao Ma
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Fukuda
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan
| | - Naoyuki Sotta
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan
| | - Toru Fujiwara
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan
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6
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A mechano-sensing mechanism for waving in plant roots. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9635. [PMID: 35688922 PMCID: PMC9187721 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14093-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Arabidopsis roots grown on inclined agar surfaces exhibit unusual sinusoidal patterns known as root-waving. The origin of these patterns has been ascribed to both genetic and environmental factors. Here we propose a mechano-sensing model for root-waving, based on a combination of friction induced by gravitropism, the elasticity of the root and the anchoring of the root to the agar by thin hairs, and demonstrate its relevance to previously obtained experimental results. We further test the applicability of this model by performing experiments in which we measure the effect of gradually changing the inclination angles of the agar surfaces on the wavelength and other properties of the growing roots. We find that the observed dynamics is different than the dynamics reported in previous works, but that it can still be explained using the same mechano-sensing considerations. This is supported by the fact that a scaling relation derived from the model describes the observed dependence of the wavelength on the tilt angle for a large range of angles. We also compare the prevalence of waving in different plant species and show that it depends on root thickness as predicted by the model. The results indicate that waving can be explained using mechanics and gravitropism alone and that mechanics may play a greater role in root growth and form than was previously considered.
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7
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Entanglement of Arabidopsis Seedlings to a Mesh Substrate under Microgravity Conditions in KIBO on the ISS. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11070956. [PMID: 35406935 PMCID: PMC9003378 DOI: 10.3390/plants11070956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The International Space Station (ISS) provides a precious opportunity to study plant growth and development under microgravity (micro-G) conditions. In this study, four lines of Arabidopsis seeds (wild type, wild-type MCA1-GFP, mca1-knockout, and MCA1-overexpressed) were cultured on a nylon lace mesh placed on Gelrite-solidified MS-medium in the Japanese experiment module KIBO on the ISS, and the entanglement of roots with the mesh was examined under micro-G and 1-G conditions. We found that root entanglement with the mesh was enhanced, and root coiling was induced under the micro-G condition. This behavior was less pronounced in mca1-knockout seedlings, although MCA1-GFP distribution at the root tip of the seedlings was nearly the same in micro-G-grown seedlings and the ground control seedlings. Possible involvement of MCA1 in the root entanglement is discussed.
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8
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García-González J, Lacek J, Weckwerth W, Retzer K. Throttling Growth Speed: Evaluation of aux1-7 Root Growth Profile by Combining D-Root system and Root Penetration Assay. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11050650. [PMID: 35270119 PMCID: PMC8912881 DOI: 10.3390/plants11050650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Directional root growth control is crucial for plant fitness. The degree of root growth deviation depends on several factors, whereby exogenous growth conditions have a profound impact. The perception of mechanical impedance by wild-type roots results in the modulation of root growth traits, and it is known that gravitropic stimulus influences distinct root movement patterns in concert with mechanoadaptation. Mutants with reduced shootward auxin transport are described as being numb towards mechanostimulus and gravistimulus, whereby different growth conditions on agar-supplemented medium have a profound effect on how much directional root growth and root movement patterns differ between wild types and mutants. To reduce the impact of unilateral mechanostimulus on roots grown along agar-supplemented medium, we compared the root movement of Col-0 and auxin resistant 1-7 in a root penetration assay to test how both lines adjust the growth patterns of evenly mechanostimulated roots. We combined the assay with the D-root system to reduce light-induced growth deviation. Moreover, the impact of sucrose supplementation in the growth medium was investigated because exogenous sugar enhances root growth deviation in the vertical direction. Overall, we observed a more regular growth pattern for Col-0 but evaluated a higher level of skewing of aux1-7 compared to the wild type than known from published data. Finally, the tracking of the growth rate of the gravistimulated roots revealed that Col-0 has a throttling elongation rate during the bending process, but aux1-7 does not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith García-González
- Laboratory of Hormonal Regulations in Plants, Institute of Experimental Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, 165 02 Prague, Czech Republic; (J.G.-G.); (J.L.)
- Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jozef Lacek
- Laboratory of Hormonal Regulations in Plants, Institute of Experimental Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, 165 02 Prague, Czech Republic; (J.G.-G.); (J.L.)
- Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Wolfram Weckwerth
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Molecular Systems Biology (MoSys), Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Wien, Austria;
- Vienna Metabolomics Center (VIME), University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Wien, Austria
| | - Katarzyna Retzer
- Laboratory of Hormonal Regulations in Plants, Institute of Experimental Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, 165 02 Prague, Czech Republic; (J.G.-G.); (J.L.)
- Correspondence:
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9
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Chin S, Blancaflor EB. Plant Gravitropism: From Mechanistic Insights into Plant Function on Earth to Plants Colonizing Other Worlds. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2368:1-41. [PMID: 34647245 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1677-2_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Gravitropism, the growth of roots and shoots toward or away from the direction of gravity, has been studied for centuries. Such studies have not only led to a better understanding of the gravitropic process itself, but also paved new paths leading to deeper mechanistic insights into a wide range of research areas. These include hormone biology, cell signal transduction, regulation of gene expression, plant evolution, and plant interactions with a variety of environmental stimuli. In addition to contributions to basic knowledge about how plants function, there is accumulating evidence that gravitropism confers adaptive advantages to crops, particularly under marginal agricultural soils. Therefore, gravitropism is emerging as a breeding target for enhancing agricultural productivity. Moreover, research on gravitropism has spawned several studies on plant growth in microgravity that have enabled researchers to uncouple the effects of gravity from other tropisms. Although rapid progress on understanding gravitropism witnessed during the past decade continues to be driven by traditional molecular, physiological, and cell biological tools, these tools have been enriched by technological innovations in next-generation omics platforms and microgravity analog facilities. In this chapter, we review the field of gravitropism by highlighting recent landmark studies that have provided unique insights into this classic research topic while also discussing potential contributions to agriculture on Earth and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Chin
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
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10
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Abstract
Early root growth is critical for plant establishment and survival. We have identified a molecular pathway required for helical root tip movement known as circumnutation. Here, we report a multiscale investigation of the regulation and function of this phenomenon. We identify key cell signaling events comprising interaction of the ethylene, cytokinin, and auxin hormone signaling pathways. We identify the gene Oryza sativa histidine kinase-1 (HK1) as well as the auxin influx carrier gene OsAUX1 as essential regulators of this process in rice. Robophysical modeling and growth challenge experiments indicate circumnutation is critical for seedling establishment in rocky soil, consistent with the long-standing hypothesis that root circumnutation facilitates growth past obstacles. Thus, the integration of robotics, physics, and biology has elucidated the functional importance of root circumnutation and uncovered the molecular mechanisms underlying its regulation.
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11
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Loshchilov I, Del Dottore E, Mazzolai B, Floreano D. Conditions for the emergence of circumnutations in plant roots. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0252202. [PMID: 34038485 PMCID: PMC8153425 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The plant root system shows remarkably complex behaviors driven by environmental cues and internal dynamics, whose interplay remains largely unknown. A notable example is circumnutation growth movements, which are growth oscillations from side to side of the root apex. Here we describe a model capable of replicating root growth behaviors, which we used to analyze the role of circumnuntations, revealing their emergence I) under gravitropic stress, as a combination of signal propagation and sensitivity to the signal carriers; II) as a result of the interplay between gravitropic and thigmotropic responses; and III) as a behavioral strategy to detect and react to resource gradients. The latter function requires the presence of a hypothetical internal oscillator whose parameters are regulated by the perception of environmental resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilya Loshchilov
- Laboratory of Intelligent Systems, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Barbara Mazzolai
- Center for Micro-Biorobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pontedera, Italy
| | - Dario Floreano
- Laboratory of Intelligent Systems, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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12
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Stachew E, Houette T, Gruber P. Root Systems Research for Bioinspired Resilient Design: A Concept Framework for Foundation and Coastal Engineering. Front Robot AI 2021; 8:548444. [PMID: 33981727 PMCID: PMC8107439 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2021.548444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The continuous increase in population and human migration to urban and coastal areas leads to the expansion of built environments over natural habitats. Current infrastructure suffers from environmental changes and their impact on ecosystem services. Foundations are static anchoring structures dependent on soil compaction, which reduces water infiltration and increases flooding. Coastal infrastructure reduces wave action and landward erosion but alters natural habitat and sediment transport. On the other hand, root systems are multifunctional, resilient, biological structures that offer promising strategies for the design of civil and coastal infrastructure, such as adaptivity, multifunctionality, self-healing, mechanical and chemical soil attachment. Therefore, the biomimetic methodology is employed to abstract root strategies of interest for the design of building foundations and coastal infrastructures that prevent soil erosion, anchor structures, penetrate soils, and provide natural habitat. The strategies are described in a literature review on root biology, then these principles are abstracted from their biological context to show their potential for engineering transfer. After a review of current and developing technologies in both application fields, the abstracted strategies are translated into conceptual designs for foundation and coastal engineering. In addition to presenting the potential of root-inspired designs for both fields, this paper also showcases the main steps of the biomimetic methodology from the study of a biological system to the development of conceptual technical designs. In this way the paper also contributes to the development of a more strategic intersection between biology and engineering and provides a framework for further research and development projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Stachew
- Biomimicry Research and Innovation Center BRIC, Department of Biology, The University of Akron, Akron, OH, United States
| | - Thibaut Houette
- Biomimicry Research and Innovation Center BRIC, Department of Biology, The University of Akron, Akron, OH, United States
| | - Petra Gruber
- Biomimicry Research and Innovation Center BRIC, Myers School of Art and Department of Biology, The University of Akron, Akron, OH, United States
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13
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Li E, Wang G, Zhang YL, Kong Z, Li S. FERONIA mediates root nutating growth. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 104:1105-1116. [PMID: 32891072 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14984] [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: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Root nutation indicates the behavior that roots grow in a waving and skewing way due to unequal growth rates on different sides. Although a few developmental and environmental factors have been reported, genetic pathways mediating this process are obscure. We report here that the Arabidopsis CrRLK1L family member FERONIA (FER) is critical for root nutation. Functional loss of FER resulted in enhanced root waviness on tilted plates or roots forming anti-clockwise coils on horizontal plates. Suppressing polar auxin transport, either by pharmacological treatment or by introducing mutations at PIN-FORMED2 (PIN2) or AUXIN RESISTANT1 (AUX1), suppressed the asymmetric root growth (ARG) in fer-4, a null mutant of FER, indicating that FER suppression of ARG depends on polar auxin transport. We further showed by pharmacological treatments that dynamic microtubule organization and Ca2+ signaling are both critical for FER-mediated ARG. Results presented here demonstrate a key role of FER in mediating root nutating growth, through PIN2- and AUX1-mediated auxin transport, through dynamic microtubule organization, and through Ca2+ signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- En Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China
| | - Guangda Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yu-Ling Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China
| | - Zhaosheng Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Sha Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China
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14
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Chai S, Nie Y, Li S. Nitrate deficiency induces differential endocytosis in roots through NRT1.1. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2020; 15:1794394. [PMID: 32686596 PMCID: PMC8550534 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2020.1794394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Roots grow asymmetrically, sometimes helically, around their growth direction likely to facilitate environmental sensing. We recently demonstrated that nitrate deficiency induces root coiling on horizontal surface through nitrate transporter/sensor NRT1.1 and PIN2- and AUX-mediated polar auxin transport. Here, we show that nitrate deficiency or NRT1.1 loss-of-function induces differential distribution of PIN2 between the future concave and concave sides in root epidermal cells. Treatment with pharmacological drugs suggests that enhanced endocytosis at the future convex side leads to reduced plasma membrane (PM) association of PIN2. A reduction of PIN2 at the PM would maintain a low auxin response to further enhance endocytosis at the convex side, leading to root coiling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Chai
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, China
- College of Horticulture, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yongxin Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, China
| | - Sha Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, China
- CONTACT Sha Li, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an271018, China
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15
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Hunt AG, Faybishenko B, Powell TL. A new phenomenological model to describe root-soil interactions based on percolation theory. Ecol Modell 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2020.109205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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16
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Mazzolai B, Tramacere F, Fiorello I, Margheri L. The Bio-Engineering Approach for Plant Investigations and Growing Robots. A Mini-Review. Front Robot AI 2020; 7:573014. [PMID: 33501333 PMCID: PMC7806088 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2020.573014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been 10 years since the publication of the first article looking at plants as a biomechatronic system and as model for robotics. Now, roboticists have started to look at plants differently and consider them as a model in the field of bioinspired robotics. Despite plants have been seen traditionally as passive entities, in reality they are able to grow, move, sense, and communicate. These features make plants an exceptional example of morphological computation - with probably the highest level of adaptability among all living beings. They are a unique model to design robots that can act in- and adapt to- unstructured, extreme, and dynamically changing environments exposed to sudden or long-term events. Although plant-inspired robotics is still a relatively new field, it has triggered the concept of growing robotics: an emerging area in which systems are designed to create their own body, adapt their morphology, and explore different environments. There is a reciprocal interest between biology and robotics: plants represent an excellent source of inspiration for achieving new robotic abilities, and engineering tools can be used to reveal new biological information. This way, a bidirectional biology-robotics strategy provides mutual benefits for both disciplines. This mini-review offers a brief overview of the fundamental aspects related to a bioengineering approach in plant-inspired robotics. It analyses the works in which both biological and engineering aspects have been investigated, and highlights the key elements of plants that have been milestones in the pioneering field of growing robots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Mazzolai
- Center for Micro-BioRobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pontedera, Italy
| | - Francesca Tramacere
- Center for Micro-BioRobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pontedera, Italy
| | - Isabella Fiorello
- Center for Micro-BioRobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pontedera, Italy
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
| | - Laura Margheri
- Center for Micro-BioRobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pontedera, Italy
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Tedone F, Del Dottore E, Palladino M, Mazzolai B, Marcati P. Optimal control of plant root tip dynamics in soil. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2020; 15:056006. [PMID: 32503024 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ab9a15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
This paper aims to propose a novel approach to model the dynamics of objects that move within the soil, e.g. plants roots. One can assume that external forces are significant only at the tip of the roots, where the plant's growth is actuated. We formulate an optimal control problem that minimises the energy spent by a growing root subject to physical constraints imposed by the surrounding soil at the tip. We study the motion strategy adopted by plant roots to facilitate penetration into the soil, which we hypothesize to be a circumnutation movement. By solving the proposed optimal control problem numerically, we validate the hypothesis that plant roots adopt a circumnutation motion pattern to reduce soil penetration resistance during growth. The proposed formalisation could be applied to replicate such a biological behaviour in robotic systems, to adopt the most efficient strategy for autonomous devices in soil exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Tedone
- Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI), viale F. Crispi 7, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy. Center for Micro-Biorobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025, Pontedera, Italy
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Fiorello I, Del Dottore E, Tramacere F, Mazzolai B. Taking inspiration from climbing plants: methodologies and benchmarks-a review. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2020; 15:031001. [PMID: 32045368 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ab7416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
One of the major challenges in robotics and engineering is to develop efficient technological solutions that are able to cope with complex environments and unpredictable constraints. Taking inspiration from natural organisms is a well-known approach to tackling these issues. Climbing plants are an important, yet innovative, source of inspiration due to their ability to adapt to diverse habitats, and can be used as a model for developing robots and smart devices for exploration and monitoring, as well as for search and rescue operations. This review reports the main methodologies and approaches used by scientists to investigate and extract the features of climbing plants that are relevant to the artificial world in terms of adaptation, movement, and behaviour, and it summarizes the current available climbing plant-inspired engineering solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Fiorello
- The Biorobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy. Center for Micro-Biorobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pontedera, Italy
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Schunter DJ, Czech RK, Holmes DP. Packing transitions in the elastogranular confinement of a slender loop. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:2039-2044. [PMID: 31998922 DOI: 10.1039/c9sm02152c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Confined thin structures are ubiquitous in nature. Spatial and length constraints have led to a number of novel packing strategies at both the micro-scale, as when DNA packages inside a capsid, and the macro-scale, seen in plant root development and the arrangement of the human intestinal tract. Here, we investigate the resulting packing behaviors between a growing slender structure constrained by deformable boundaries. Experimentally, we vary the arc length of an elastic loop injected into an array of soft, spherical grains at various initial number densities. At low initial packing fractions, the elastic loop deforms as though it were hitting a flat surface by periodically folding into the array. Above a critical packing fraction φc, local re-orientations within the granular medium create an effectively curved surface leading to the emergence of a distinct circular packing morphology. These results bring new insights into the packing behavior of wires and thin sheets, and will be relevant to modeling plant root morphogenesis, burrowing and locomotive strategies of vertebrates & invertebrates, and developing smart, steerable needles.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Schunter
- Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| | - Regina K Czech
- Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| | - Douglas P Holmes
- Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
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Sadeghi A, Del Dottore E, Mondini A, Mazzolai B. Passive Morphological Adaptation for Obstacle Avoidance in a Self-Growing Robot Produced by Additive Manufacturing. Soft Robot 2020; 7:85-94. [PMID: 31592712 PMCID: PMC7049936 DOI: 10.1089/soro.2019.0025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
This article presents strategies for the passive path and morphological adaptation of a plant-inspired growing robot that can build its own body by an additive manufacturing process. By exploiting the soft state of the thermoplastic material used by the robot to build its structure, we analyzed the ability of the robot to change its direction of growth without the need for specific cognition and control processes. Obstacle avoidance is computed by the mechanics from the body-environment interaction. The robot can passively adapt its body to flat obstacles with an inclination of up to 50° with resulting reaction forces of up to ∼10 N. The robot also successfully performs penetration and body adaptation (with 30° obstacle inclination) in artificial soil and in a rough unstructured environment. This approach is founded on observing plant roots and how they move and passively adapt to obstacles in soil before they actively respond followed by cell division-based growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Sadeghi
- Center for Micro-BioRobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pontedera, Italy
| | | | - Alessio Mondini
- Center for Micro-BioRobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pontedera, Italy
| | - Barbara Mazzolai
- Center for Micro-BioRobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pontedera, Italy
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Chai S, Li E, Zhang Y, Li S. NRT1.1-Mediated Nitrate Suppression of Root Coiling Relies on PIN2- and AUX1-Mediated Auxin Transport. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:671. [PMID: 32582237 PMCID: PMC7288464 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Asymmetric root growth (ARG) on tilted plates, or root coiling on horizontally placed plates, is proposed to be a combination of gravitropism, mechanical sensing, and "circumnutation," a word designated by Charles Darwin to describe the helical movement that all plant organs make around the growth direction. ARG is developmentally controlled in which microtubule-regulating proteins and the phytohormone auxin participates. Nutrient deficiency influences ARG. However, it is unclear which nutrients play key roles in regulating ARG, what endogenous components are involved in responding to nutrient deficiency for ARG, and how nutrient deficiency is translated into endogenous responses. We report here that nitrate deficiency resulted in a strong ARG in Arabidopsis. Nitrate deficiency caused root coiling on horizontal plates, which is inhibited by an auxin transport inhibitor, and by mutations in PIN-FORMED2 (PIN2) and AUXIN RESISTANT 1 (AUX1). We further show that suppression of ARG by nitrate is mediated by the nitrate transporter/sensor NRT1.1. In addition, PIN2- and AUX1-mediated auxin transports are epistatic to NRT1.1 in nitrate deficiency-induced ARG. This study reveals a signaling pathway in root growth by responding to exogenous nitrate and relaying it into altered auxin transport.
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van Wyk AS, Prinsloo G. Challenging current interpretation of sunflower movements. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2019; 70:6049-6056. [PMID: 31504705 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erz381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In the literature, Helianthus annuus L. (sunflower) movements are generally described as heliotropic. It is generally believed that the leaves and flowers of the growing H. annuus plant track the sun as the sun moves across the sky from east to west. This paper, however, challenges current interpretation regarding H. annuus movements, as the literature generally excludes the rotation of the earth around its own axis, gravity, and the possible role of gravitation. The general exclusion of the earth's rotation in the literature may also have resulted in flawed research design in studies conducted on H. annuus movements, which in turn may have directed researchers towards the misinterpretation of results. This paper aims to include the possible role of the Earth's rotation, gravity, and gravitation when describing H. annuus movements and to provide possible alternative explanations for the results achieved by researchers. This paper further includes concepts and examples relevant to plant movements, such as the rhythms often associated with plant movements, the physiology of plant movements, referring to turgor pressure as the main force behind plant movements, and plant rhythmic clocks and their characteristics, in order to explain the alternative views and to relate them to H. annuus movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne S van Wyk
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Florida campus, Florida, South Africa
| | - Gerhard Prinsloo
- Department of Agriculture and Animal Health, University of South Africa, Florida campus, Florida, South Africa
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Heinrich MK, von Mammen S, Hofstadler DN, Wahby M, Zahadat P, Skrzypczak T, Soorati MD, Krela R, Kwiatkowski W, Schmickl T, Ayres P, Stoy K, Hamann H. Constructing living buildings: a review of relevant technologies for a novel application of biohybrid robotics. J R Soc Interface 2019; 16:20190238. [PMID: 31362616 PMCID: PMC6685033 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2019.0238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Biohybrid robotics takes an engineering approach to the expansion and exploitation of biological behaviours for application to automated tasks. Here, we identify the construction of living buildings and infrastructure as a high-potential application domain for biohybrid robotics, and review technological advances relevant to its future development. Construction, civil infrastructure maintenance and building occupancy in the last decades have comprised a major portion of economic production, energy consumption and carbon emissions. Integrating biological organisms into automated construction tasks and permanent building components therefore has high potential for impact. Live materials can provide several advantages over standard synthetic construction materials, including self-repair of damage, increase rather than degradation of structural performance over time, resilience to corrosive environments, support of biodiversity, and mitigation of urban heat islands. Here, we review relevant technologies, which are currently disparate. They span robotics, self-organizing systems, artificial life, construction automation, structural engineering, architecture, bioengineering, biomaterials, and molecular and cellular biology. In these disciplines, developments relevant to biohybrid construction and living buildings are in the early stages, and typically are not exchanged between disciplines. We, therefore, consider this review useful to the future development of biohybrid engineering for this highly interdisciplinary application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Katherine Heinrich
- Institute of Computer Engineering, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
- School of Architecture, Centre for IT and Architecture, Royal Danish Academy, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sebastian von Mammen
- Human–Computer Interaction, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Mostafa Wahby
- Institute of Computer Engineering, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Payam Zahadat
- Institute of Biology, Artificial Life Lab, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Department of Computer Science, IT University of Copenhagen, Kobenhavn, Denmark
| | - Tomasz Skrzypczak
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | | | - Rafał Krela
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Wojciech Kwiatkowski
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Thomas Schmickl
- Institute of Biology, Artificial Life Lab, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Phil Ayres
- School of Architecture, Centre for IT and Architecture, Royal Danish Academy, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kasper Stoy
- Department of Computer Science, IT University of Copenhagen, Kobenhavn, Denmark
| | - Heiko Hamann
- Institute of Computer Engineering, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
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Abstract
Regulation of plant root angle is critical for obtaining nutrients and water and is an important trait for plant breeding. A plant’s final, long-term root angle is the net result of a complex series of decisions made by a root tip in response to changes in nutrient availability, impediments, the gravity vector and other stimuli. When a root tip is displaced from the gravity vector, the short-term process of gravitropism results in rapid reorientation of the root toward the vertical. Here, we explore both short- and long-term regulation of root growth angle, using natural variation in tomato to identify shared and separate genetic features of the two responses. Mapping of expression quantitative trait loci mapping and leveraging natural variation between and within species including Arabidopsis suggest a role for PURPLE ACID PHOSPHATASE 27 and CELL DIVISION CYCLE 73 in determining root angle.
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Wahby M, Heinrich MK, Hofstadler DN, Neufeld E, Kuksin I, Zahadat P, Schmickl T, Ayres P, Hamann H. Autonomously shaping natural climbing plants: a bio-hybrid approach. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:180296. [PMID: 30473806 PMCID: PMC6227980 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.180296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Plant growth is a self-organized process incorporating distributed sensing, internal communication and morphology dynamics. We develop a distributed mechatronic system that autonomously interacts with natural climbing plants, steering their behaviours to grow user-defined shapes and patterns. Investigating this bio-hybrid system paves the way towards the development of living adaptive structures and grown building components. In this new application domain, challenges include sensing, actuation and the combination of engineering methods and natural plants in the experimental set-up. By triggering behavioural responses in the plants through light spectra stimuli, we use static mechatronic nodes to grow climbing plants in a user-defined pattern at a two-dimensional plane. The experiments show successful growth over periods up to eight weeks. Results of the stimuli-guided experiments are substantially different from the control experiments. Key limitations are the number of repetitions performed and the scale of the systems tested. Recommended future research would investigate the use of similar bio-hybrids to connect construction elements and grow shapes of larger size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mostafa Wahby
- Institute of Computer Engineering, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Mary Katherine Heinrich
- Institute of Computer Engineering, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
- School of Architecture, Centre for IT and Architecture, Royal Danish Academy, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Ewald Neufeld
- Department of Computer Science, Paderborn University, Paderborn, Germany
| | | | - Payam Zahadat
- Department of Zoology, Artificial Life Lab, Karl-Franzens University, Graz, Austria
| | - Thomas Schmickl
- Department of Zoology, Artificial Life Lab, Karl-Franzens University, Graz, Austria
| | - Phil Ayres
- School of Architecture, Centre for IT and Architecture, Royal Danish Academy, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Heiko Hamann
- Institute of Computer Engineering, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
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Resistance from agar medium impacts the helical growth of Arabidopsis primary roots. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2018; 85:43-50. [PMID: 29852351 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2018.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Revised: 01/31/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Agar is widely used in studies of root growth since it can be mixed at different concentrations to impact mechanical impedance. At high concentrations (1.2-1.5%), growth of Arabidopsis roots has been found to be wavy, but little research has explored this behavior based on a quantitative understanding of mechanical behavior. To this end, agar media with concentration ranging from 0.5% to 1.2% were prepared to produce gradient resistance during root penetration, and Young's moduli and penetrometer resistance were tested. Arabidopsis roots were then cultivated in these agar media with gradient stiffness. The result showed that Young's modulus increased linearly with the increase of concentration of agar media. For Arabidopsis primary roots, it was preferred to develop a helical pattern in agar media with concentration from 0.5% to 1.0%. As stiffness of agar increased, the percentage of helical roots and helix diameters in each agar medium declined; root lengths and auxin distributions showed variety. We demonstrate that the size of helical deformation decreases with agar stiffness as expected by theoretical analysis based on a combination of growth-induced mechanical buckling. In conclusion, the resistance from agar media impacts the properties of root helix, and helical roots growth is driven by growth force. Growth force and external mechanical forces contribute to root phenotypes in Arabidopsis.
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Sousa-Baena MS, Lohmann LG, Hernandes-Lopes J, Sinha NR. The molecular control of tendril development in angiosperms. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2018. [PMID: 29520789 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The climbing habit has evolved multiple times during the evolutionary history of angiosperms. Plants evolved various strategies for climbing, such as twining stems, tendrils and hooks. Tendrils are threadlike organs with the ability to twine around other structures through helical growth; they may be derived from a variety of structures, such as branches, leaflets and inflorescences. The genetic capacity to grow as a tendrilled climber existed in some of the earliest land plants; however, the underlying molecular basis of tendril development has been studied in only a few taxa. Here, we summarize what is known about the molecular basis of tendril development in model and candidate model species from key tendrilled families, that is, Fabaceae, Vitaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Passifloraceae and Bignoniaceae. Studies on tendril molecular genetics and development show the molecular basis of tendril formation and ontogenesis is diverse, even when tendrils have the same ontogenetic origin, for example leaflet-derived tendrils in Fabaceae and Bignoniaceae. Interestingly, all tendrils perform helical growth during contact-induced coiling, indicating that such ability is not correlated with their ontogenetic origin or phylogenetic history. Whether the same genetic networks are involved during helical growth in diverse tendrils still remains to be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariane S Sousa-Baena
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Lúcia G Lohmann
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
| | - José Hernandes-Lopes
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Neelima R Sinha
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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Yokawa K, Baluška F. Sense of space: Tactile sense for exploratory behavior of roots. Commun Integr Biol 2018; 11:1-5. [PMID: 30083280 PMCID: PMC6067838 DOI: 10.1080/19420889.2018.1440881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In soil, plant roots grow in heterogeneous environments. Plant roots are always facing the difficulty of searching effectively the patchy natural resources, such as water, oxygen, ions and mineral nutrition. Numerous studies reported that root apex navigation enables roots to explore complex environments. In this short communication, we characterize how growing maize roots explore narrow space available with two experimental settings: tactile exploration of narrow glass tube and circumnutation in free space. We also discuss root growth in the soil in terms of foraging behavior guided by the sensory root apex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken Yokawa
- Center for Bioscience Research and Education, Utsunomiya University, Tochigi, Japan.,IZMB, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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Sousa-Baena MS, Sinha NR, Hernandes-Lopes J, Lohmann LG. Convergent Evolution and the Diverse Ontogenetic Origins of Tendrils in Angiosperms. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:403. [PMID: 29666627 PMCID: PMC5891604 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Climbers are abundant in tropical forests, where they constitute a major functional plant type. The acquisition of the climbing habit in angiosperms constitutes a key innovation. Successful speciation in climbers is correlated with the development of specialized climbing strategies such as tendrils, i.e., filiform organs with the ability to twine around other structures through helical growth. Tendrils are derived from a variety of morphological structures, e.g., stems, leaves, and inflorescences, and are found in various plant families. In fact, tendrils are distributed throughout the angiosperm phylogeny, from magnoliids to asterids II, making these structures a great model to study convergent evolution. In this study, we performed a thorough survey of tendrils within angiosperms, focusing on their origin and development. We identified 17 tendril types and analyzed their distribution through the angiosperm phylogeny. Some interesting patterns emerged. For instance, tendrils derived from reproductive structures are exclusively found in the Core Eudicots, except from one monocot species. Fabales and Asterales are the orders with the highest numbers of tendrilling strategies. Tendrils derived from modified leaflets are particularly common among asterids, occurring in Polemoniaceae, Bignoniaceae, and Asteraceae. Although angiosperms have a large number of tendrilled representatives, little is known about their origin and development. This work points out research gaps that should help guide future research on the biology of tendrilled species. Additional research on climbers is particularly important given their increasing abundance resulting from environmental disturbance in the tropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariane S. Sousa-Baena
- Laboratório de Sistemática, Evolução e Biogeografia de Plantas Vasculares, Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Mariane S. Sousa-Baena
| | - Neelima R. Sinha
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - José Hernandes-Lopes
- Genomics and Transposable Elements Laboratory (GaTE-Lab), Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lúcia G. Lohmann
- Laboratório de Sistemática, Evolução e Biogeografia de Plantas Vasculares, Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Del Dottore E, Mondini A, Sadeghi A, Mattoli V, Mazzolai B. An efficient soil penetration strategy for explorative robots inspired by plant root circumnutation movements. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2017; 13:015003. [PMID: 29123076 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/aa9998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents a comparative analysis in terms of energy required by an artificial probe to penetrate soil implementing two different strategies: a straight penetration movement and a circumnutation, which is an oscillatory movement performed by plant roots. The role of circumnutations in plant roots is still debated. We hypothesized that circumnutation movements can help roots in penetrating soil, and validated our assumption by testing the probe at three distinct soil densities and using various combinations of circumnutation amplitudes and periods for each soil. The comparison was based on the total work done by the system while circumnutating at its tip level with respect to that shown by the same system in straight penetration. The total energy evaluation confirmed an improvement obtained by circumnutations up to 33%. We also proposed a fitting model for our experimental data that was used to estimate energy needed by the probe to penetrate soil at different dimensions and circumnutation amplitudes. Results showed the existence of a trade-off among penetration velocity, circumnutation period, and amplitude toward an energy consumption optimization, expressed by the lead angle of the helical path that should stay in the range between 46° and 65°. Moreover, circumnutations with appropriate amplitude (~10°) and period (~80 s) values were more efficient than straight penetration also at different probe tip dimensions, up to a threshold diameter (from 2 mm to 55 mm). Based on the obtained results, we speculated that circumnutations can represent a strategy used by plant roots to reduce the pressure and energy needed to penetrate soil. The translation of this biological feature in robotic systems will allow improving their energetic efficiency in digging tasks, and thus open new scenarios for use in search and rescue, environmental monitoring, and soil exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuela Del Dottore
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pontedera, Italy. Center for Micro-BioRobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pontedera, Italy
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Stolarz M, Dziubinska H. Osmotic and Salt Stresses Modulate Spontaneous and Glutamate-Induced Action Potentials and Distinguish between Growth and Circumnutation in Helianthus annuus Seedlings. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:1766. [PMID: 29093722 PMCID: PMC5651625 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.01766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Action potentials (APs), i.e., long-distance electrical signals, and circumnutations (CN), i.e., endogenous plant organ movements, are shaped by ion fluxes and content in excitable and motor tissues. The appearance of APs and CN as well as growth parameters in seedlings and 3-week old plants of Helianthus annuus treated with osmotic and salt stress (0-500 mOsm) were studied. Time-lapse photography and extracellular measurements of electrical potential changes were performed. The hypocotyl length was strongly reduced by the osmotic and salt stress. CN intensity declined due to the osmotic but not salt stress. The period of CN in mild salt stress was similar to the control (~164 min) and increased to more than 200 min in osmotic stress. In sunflower seedlings growing in a hydroponic medium, spontaneous APs (SAPs) propagating basipetally and acropetally with a velocity of 12-20 cm min-1 were observed. The number of SAPs increased 2-3 times (7-10 SAPs 24 h-1plant-1) in the mild salt stress (160 mOsm NaCl and KCl), compared to the control and strong salt stress (3-4 SAPs 24 h-1 plant-1 in the control and 300 mOsm KCl and NaCl). Glutamate-induced series of APs were inhibited in the strong salt stress-treated seedlings but not at the mild salt stress and osmotic stress. Additionally, in 3-week old plants, the injection of the hypo- or hyperosmotic solution at the base of the sunflower stem evoked series of APs (3-24 APs) transmitted along the stem. It has been shown that osmotic and salt stresses modulate differently hypocotyl growth and CN and have an effect on spontaneous and evoked APs in sunflower seedlings. We suggested that potassium, sodium, and chloride ions at stress concentrations in the nutrient medium modulate sunflower excitability and CN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Stolarz
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Biology and Biochemistry, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin, Poland
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Yan J, Wang B, Zhou Y. A root penetration model of Arabidopsis thaliana in phytagel medium with different strength. JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH 2017; 130:941-950. [PMID: 28315970 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-017-0926-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Phytagel media were evaluated as systems to mechanically impede roots of A. thaliana. Studying mechanical properties of Phytagel and exploring the root response to mechanical stimulation can facilitate plant culture and plant development. Breaking strengths of 0.5-2.0% phytagel media were tested by uniaxial compression test. Different phytagel concentrations were set to alter the strength of layers in growth medium. Negative correlations were observed between root length, straightness and medium strength. When roots elongated through soft upper-layer (0.6%), penetration ratio decreased with the increase of lower-layer strength (0.6-1.2%) and all roots couldn't penetrate into lower-layer with concentration ≥1.2%. Roots could grow into soft lower-layer (0.6%) from hard upper-layer (0.6-1.2%), with decreased penetration ratio. When roots grew in soft lower-layer, the growth rate linked with upper-layer strength increased to peak. Roots penetration capability into 1.2% lower-layer was improved by growing plants through moderate layer inserted between soft and hard layer, and roots in 0.8% moderate medium have a significant higher penetration ratio than that in 1.0%. It was concluded that the Phytagel systems studied were suitable for studying the effect of mechanical impedance on the elongation of A. thaliana roots. The medium strength affected root penetration significantly and acclimation can improve root penetration capability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Yan
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, No.174, Shapingba Main Street, Chongqing, 400030, People's Republic of China
| | - Bochu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, No.174, Shapingba Main Street, Chongqing, 400030, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yong Zhou
- Institute of Entomology and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, People's Republic of China
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Singh M, Gupta A, Laxmi A. Striking the Right Chord: Signaling Enigma during Root Gravitropism. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:1304. [PMID: 28798760 PMCID: PMC5529344 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.01304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/11/2017] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Plants being sessile can often be judged as passive acceptors of their environment. However, plants are actually even more active in responding to the factors from their surroundings. Plants do not have eyes, ears or vestibular system like animals, still they "know" which way is up and which way is down? This is facilitated by receptor molecules within plant which perceive changes in internal and external conditions such as light, touch, obstacles; and initiate signaling pathways that enable the plant to react. Plant responses that involve a definite and specific movement are called "tropic" responses. Perhaps the best known and studied tropisms are phototropism, i.e., response to light, and geotropism, i.e., response to gravity. A robust root system is vital for plant growth as it can provide physical anchorage to soil as well as absorb water, nutrients and essential minerals from soil efficiently. Gravitropic responses of both primary as well as lateral root thus become critical for plant growth and development. The molecular mechanisms of root gravitropism has been delved intensively, however, the mechanism behind how the potential energy of gravity stimulus converts into a biochemical signal in vascular plants is still unknown, due to which gravity sensing in plants still remains one of the most fascinating questions in molecular biology. Communications within plants occur through phytohormones and other chemical substances produced in plants which have a developmental or physiological effect on growth. Here, we review current knowledge of various intrinsic signaling mechanisms that modulate root gravitropism in order to point out the questions and emerging developments in plant directional growth responses. We are also discussing the roles of sugar signals and their interaction with phytohormone machinery, specifically in context of root directional responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manjul Singh
- National Institute of Plant Genome ResearchNew Delhi, India
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Plant Genomics, University of Delhi South CampusNew Delhi, India
| | - Aditi Gupta
- National Institute of Plant Genome ResearchNew Delhi, India
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Plant Genomics, University of Delhi South CampusNew Delhi, India
| | - Ashverya Laxmi
- National Institute of Plant Genome ResearchNew Delhi, India
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Roy R, Bassham DC. TNO1, a TGN-localized SNARE-interacting protein, modulates root skewing in Arabidopsis thaliana. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2017; 17:73. [PMID: 28399805 PMCID: PMC5387210 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-017-1024-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The movement of plant roots within the soil is key to their ability to interact with the environment and maximize anchorage and nutrient acquisition. Directional growth of roots occurs by a combination of sensing external cues, hormonal signaling and cytoskeletal changes in the root cells. Roots growing on slanted, impenetrable growth medium display a characteristic waving and skewing, and mutants with deviations in these phenotypes assist in identifying genes required for root movement. Our study identifies a role for a trans-Golgi network-localized protein in root skewing. RESULTS We found that Arabidopsis thaliana TNO1 (TGN-localized SYP41-interacting protein), a putative tethering factor localized at the trans-Golgi network, affects root skewing. tno1 knockout mutants display enhanced root skewing and epidermal cell file rotation. Skewing of tno1 roots increases upon microtubule stabilization, but is insensitive to microtubule destabilization. Microtubule destabilization leads to severe defects in cell morphology in tno1 seedlings. Microtubule array orientation is unaffected in the mutant roots, suggesting that the increase in cell file rotation is independent of the orientation of microtubule arrays. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that TNO1 modulates root skewing in a mechanism that is dependent on microtubules but is not linked to disruption of the orientation of microtubule arrays. In addition, TNO1 is required for maintenance of cell morphology in mature regions of roots and the base of hypocotyls. The TGN-localized SNARE machinery might therefore be important for appropriate epidermal cell file rotation and cell expansion during root growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Roy
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, 1035B Roy J Carver Co-Lab, 1111 WOI Rd, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 USA
- Interdepartmental Genetics Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA USA
- Current Address: Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN 55108 USA
| | - Diane C. Bassham
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, 1035B Roy J Carver Co-Lab, 1111 WOI Rd, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 USA
- Interdepartmental Genetics Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA USA
- Plant Sciences Institute, Iowa State University, Ames, IA USA
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Stolarz M, Dziubinska H. Osmotic and Salt Stresses Modulate Spontaneous and Glutamate-Induced Action Potentials and Distinguish between Growth and Circumnutation in Helianthus annuus Seedlings. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:1766. [PMID: 29093722 DOI: 10.1007/s11738-017-2528-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Action potentials (APs), i.e., long-distance electrical signals, and circumnutations (CN), i.e., endogenous plant organ movements, are shaped by ion fluxes and content in excitable and motor tissues. The appearance of APs and CN as well as growth parameters in seedlings and 3-week old plants of Helianthus annuus treated with osmotic and salt stress (0-500 mOsm) were studied. Time-lapse photography and extracellular measurements of electrical potential changes were performed. The hypocotyl length was strongly reduced by the osmotic and salt stress. CN intensity declined due to the osmotic but not salt stress. The period of CN in mild salt stress was similar to the control (~164 min) and increased to more than 200 min in osmotic stress. In sunflower seedlings growing in a hydroponic medium, spontaneous APs (SAPs) propagating basipetally and acropetally with a velocity of 12-20 cm min-1 were observed. The number of SAPs increased 2-3 times (7-10 SAPs 24 h-1plant-1) in the mild salt stress (160 mOsm NaCl and KCl), compared to the control and strong salt stress (3-4 SAPs 24 h-1 plant-1 in the control and 300 mOsm KCl and NaCl). Glutamate-induced series of APs were inhibited in the strong salt stress-treated seedlings but not at the mild salt stress and osmotic stress. Additionally, in 3-week old plants, the injection of the hypo- or hyperosmotic solution at the base of the sunflower stem evoked series of APs (3-24 APs) transmitted along the stem. It has been shown that osmotic and salt stresses modulate differently hypocotyl growth and CN and have an effect on spontaneous and evoked APs in sunflower seedlings. We suggested that potassium, sodium, and chloride ions at stress concentrations in the nutrient medium modulate sunflower excitability and CN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Stolarz
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Biology and Biochemistry, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin, Poland
| | - Halina Dziubinska
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Biology and Biochemistry, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin, Poland
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Bastien R, Meroz Y. The Kinematics of Plant Nutation Reveals a Simple Relation between Curvature and the Orientation of Differential Growth. PLoS Comput Biol 2016; 12:e1005238. [PMID: 27923062 PMCID: PMC5140061 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Nutation is an oscillatory movement that plants display during their development. Despite its ubiquity among plants movements, the relation between the observed movement and the underlying biological mechanisms remains unclear. Here we show that the kinematics of the full organ in 3D give a simple picture of plant nutation, where the orientation of the curvature along the main axis of the organ aligns with the direction of maximal differential growth. Within this framework we reexamine the validity of widely used experimental measurements of the apical tip as markers of growth dynamics. We show that though this relation is correct under certain conditions, it does not generally hold, and is not sufficient to uncover the specific role of each mechanism. As an example we re-interpret previously measured experimental observations using our model. In his writings, Darwin considered nutation, the revolving movement of the apical tip of plants, as the most widespread plant movement. In spite of its ubiquity, plant nutation has not received as much attention as other plant movements, and its underlying mechanism remains unclear. A better understanding of this presumably growth-driven process is bound to shed light on basic growth processes in plants. In the work presented here we redefine the problem by describing the kinematics in three dimensions, as opposed to the typical description restricted to the horizontal plane. Within this framework we reveal a simple picture of the underlying dynamics, where the orientation of curvature follows the orientation of maximal differential growth. This parsimonious model recovers the major classes of nutation patterns, as shown both analytically and numerically. We then discuss the limitations of classical measurements where only the movement of the apical tip is tracked, suggesting more adequate measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renaud Bastien
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology and Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Yasmine Meroz
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Popova L, van Dusschoten D, Nagel KA, Fiorani F, Mazzolai B. Plant root tortuosity: an indicator of root path formation in soil with different composition and density. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2016; 118:685-698. [PMID: 27192709 PMCID: PMC5055621 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcw057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2015] [Revised: 12/07/2015] [Accepted: 02/21/2016] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Background and Aims Root soil penetration and path optimization are fundamental for root development in soil. We describe the influence of soil strength on root elongation rate and diameter, response to gravity, and root-structure tortuosity, estimated by average curvature of primary maize roots. Methods Soils with different densities (1·5, 1·6, 1·7 g cm-3), particle sizes (sandy loam; coarse sand mixed with sandy loam) and layering (monolayer, bilayer) were used. In total, five treatments were performed: Mix_low with mixed sand low density (three pots, 12 plants), Mix_medium - mixed sand medium density (three pots, 12 plants), Mix_high - mixed sand high density (three pots, ten plants), Loam_low sandy loam soil low density (four pots, 16 plants), and Bilayer with top layer of sandy loam and bottom layer mixed sand both of low density (four pots, 16 plants). We used non-invasive three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging to quantify effects of these treatments. Key Results Roots grew more slowly [root growth rate (mm h-1); decreased 50 %] with increased diameters [root diameter (mm); increased 15 %] in denser soils (1·7 vs. 1·5 g cm-3). Root response to gravity decreased 23 % with increased soil compaction, and tortuosity increased 10 % in mixed sand. Response to gravity increased 39 % and tortuosity decreased 3 % in sandy loam. After crossing a bilayered-soil interface, roots grew more slowly, similar to roots grown in soil with a bulk density of 1·64 g cm-3, whereas the actual experimental density was 1·48±0·02 g cm-3. Elongation rate and tortuosity were higher in Mix_low than in Loam_low. Conclusions The present study increases our existing knowledge of the influence of physical soil properties on root growth and presents new assays for studying root growth dynamics in non-transparent media. We found that root tortuosity is indicative of root path selection, because it could result from both mechanical deflection and active root growth in response to touch stimulation and mechanical impedance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyana Popova
- Center for Micro-BioRobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Italy
| | - Dagmar van Dusschoten
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-2: Plant Sciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Kerstin A. Nagel
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-2: Plant Sciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Fabio Fiorani
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-2: Plant Sciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Barbara Mazzolai
- Center for Micro-BioRobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Italy
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Perrineau F, Wimalasekera R, Effendi Y, Scherer GFE. Inhibition of auxin transport and auxin signaling and treatment with far red light induces root coiling in the phospholipase-A mutant ppla-I-1. Significance for surface penetration? JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 196-197:53-9. [PMID: 27058428 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2016.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2015] [Revised: 02/15/2016] [Accepted: 03/18/2016] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
When grown on a non-penetretable at a surface angle of 45°, Arabidopsis roots form wave-like structures and, in wild type rarely, but in certain mutants the tip root even may form circles. These circles are called coils. The formation of coils depends on the complex interaction of circumnutation, gravitropism and negative thigmotropism where - at least - gravitropism is intimately linked to auxin transport and signaling. The knockout mutant of patatin-related phospholipase-AI-1 (pplaI-1) is an auxin-signaling mutant which forms moderately increased numbers of coils on tilted agar plates. We tested the effects of the auxin efflux transport inhibitor NPA (1-naphthylphtalamic acid) and of the influx transport inhibitor 1-NOA (1-naphthoxyacetic acid) which both further increased root coil formation. The pPLAI-1 inhibitors HELSS (haloenol lactone suicide substrate=E-6-(bromomethylene)tetrahydro-3-(1-naphthalenyl)-2H-pyran-2-one) and ETYA (eicosatetraynoic acid) which are auxin signaling inhibitors also increased coil formation. In addition, far red light treatment increased coil formation. The results point out that a disturbance of auxin transport and signaling is one potential cause for root coils. As we show that the mutant pplaI-1 penetrates horizontal agar plates better than wild type plants root movements may help penetrating the soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Perrineau
- Leibniz Universität Hannover, Institut für Gartenbauliche Produktionssysteme, Abt. Molekulare Ertragsphysiologie, Herrenhäuser Str. 2, D-30419 Hannover, Germany; Universität Hamburg Fakultät für Mathematik, Informatik und Naturwissenschaften, Biologie, Biozentrum Klein Flottbek, Ohnhorststr. 18, 22609 Hamburg, Germany.
| | - R Wimalasekera
- Leibniz Universität Hannover, Institut für Gartenbauliche Produktionssysteme, Abt. Molekulare Ertragsphysiologie, Herrenhäuser Str. 2, D-30419 Hannover, Germany.
| | - Y Effendi
- Leibniz Universität Hannover, Institut für Gartenbauliche Produktionssysteme, Abt. Molekulare Ertragsphysiologie, Herrenhäuser Str. 2, D-30419 Hannover, Germany; Al Azhar Indonesia University, Department of Biology, Sisingamangaraja, 12110 Jakarta, Indonesia.
| | - G F E Scherer
- Leibniz Universität Hannover, Institut für Gartenbauliche Produktionssysteme, Abt. Molekulare Ertragsphysiologie, Herrenhäuser Str. 2, D-30419 Hannover, Germany.
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Chen HW, Shao KH, Wang SJ. Light-mediated modulation of helix angle and rate of seminal root tip movement determines root morphology of young rice seedlings. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2016; 11:e1141861. [PMID: 26829414 PMCID: PMC4883842 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2016.1141861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Revised: 01/07/2016] [Accepted: 01/08/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Seminal root growth is one of the factors to determine rice seedling establishment. Our previous reports showed light can induce Z-type wavy root and coiling root morphology in several rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties, and the regulated Z-type and unregulated coil seminal roots were resulted by different circumnutational trajectories. Moreover, the light-induced seminal root waving was conducted by an NO-dependent signaling pathway. In order to further reveal the difference of root tip movement between straight and wavy seminal roots; here, the root tip movement trajectories of Tainung 67 variety (TNG67; presented straight root in light conditions) and Taichung Native 1 (TCN1; presented Z-type wavy root in light) were recorded and analyzed in both white light and dark (dim far-red light was applied in dark for taking time-lapse photography) conditions. The results showed the root tip movement of both rice varieties in low intensity of dim far-red light conditions were followed the circumnutation path. However, the stimuli of high intensity of white light would increase the root helix angle in TCN1 seedlings but not in TNG67. In addition, slowing down the rate of root helix was induced by white light treatment in TCN1 but not in TNG67 seedlings. In conclusion, changes of TCN1 rice seminal root morphology from straight to wavy type stimulated by light was resulted by both helix angle increasing and circumnutation rate slowing of root tip movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiang-Wen Chen
- Department of Agronomy, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ko-Hsuan Shao
- Department of Agronomy, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Jen Wang
- Department of Agronomy, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Yang X, Wang B, Farris B, Clark G, Roux SJ. Modulation of Root Skewing in Arabidopsis by Apyrases and Extracellular ATP. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2015; 56:2197-206. [PMID: 26412783 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcv134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
When plant primary roots grow along a tilted surface that is impenetrable, they can undergo a slanted deviation from the direction of gravity called skewing. Skewing is induced by touch stimuli which the roots experience as they grow along the surface. Touch stimuli also induce the release of extracellular ATP (eATP) into the plant's extracellular matrix, and two apyrases (NTPDases) in Arabidopsis, APY1 and APY2, can help regulate the concentration of eATP. The primary roots of seedlings overexpressing APY1 show less skewing than wild-type plants. Plants suppressed in their expression of APY1 show more skewing than wild-type plants. Correspondingly, chemical inhibition of apyrase activity increased skewing in mutants and wild-type roots. Exogenous application of ATP or ATPγS also increased skewing in wild-type roots, which could be blocked by co-incubation with a purinergic receptor antagonist. These results suggest a model in which gradients of eATP set up by differential touch stimuli along roots help direct skewing in roots growing along an impenetrable surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingyan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China
| | - Bochu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China
| | - Ben Farris
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Greg Clark
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Stanley J Roux
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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Kurenda A, Stolarz M, Zdunek A. Electrical potential oscillations--movement relations in circumnutating sunflower stem and effect of ion channel and proton pump inhibitors on circumnutation. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2015; 153:307-17. [PMID: 25211351 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.12277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2014] [Revised: 07/09/2014] [Accepted: 07/30/2014] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The physiological control and molecular mechanism of circumnutation (CN) has not yet been fully understood. To gain information on the CN mechanism, the relationship between the changes of electrical potential and movement in the circumnutating sunflower stem and effect of ion channels and proton pump inhibitors on CN parameters were evaluated. Long-term electrophysiological measurements and injection of solutions of ion channel inhibitors (ICI) into sunflower stem with the simultaneous time-lapse recording of the movement were made. The oscillations of electrical potential (OEP) - movement relations - consist of cells depolarization on the deflected side of the stem and, at this same time, cells hyperpolarization on the opposite side of the stem. The delay of organ movement in relation to electrical changes of approximately 28 min (22% of the period) may indicate that the ionic fluxes causing the OEP are the primary phenomenon. The biggest decrease of CN period was observed after injection of proton pump (approximately 26%) and cation channel (approximately 25%) inhibitors, while length and amplitude were reduced mainly by calcium channel inhibitors (approximately 67%). Existence of OEP only in circumnutating part of sunflower stem and reduction of CN parameters and OEP amplitude after application of ICI prove that the CN cellular mechanism is associated with transmembrane ion transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej Kurenda
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Biology and Biochemistry, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, 20-033, Lublin, Poland; Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 20-290, Lublin, Poland
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Galva C, Kirik V, Lindeboom JJ, Kaloriti D, Rancour DM, Hussey PJ, Bednarek SY, Ehrhardt DW, Sedbrook JC. The microtubule plus-end tracking proteins SPR1 and EB1b interact to maintain polar cell elongation and directional organ growth in Arabidopsis. THE PLANT CELL 2014; 26:4409-25. [PMID: 25415978 PMCID: PMC4277225 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.114.131482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The microtubule plus-end tracking proteins (+TIPs) END BINDING1b (EB1b) and SPIRAL1 (SPR1) are required for normal cell expansion and organ growth. EB proteins are viewed as central regulators of +TIPs and cell polarity in animals; SPR1 homologs are specific to plants. To explore if EB1b and SPR1 fundamentally function together, we combined genetic, biochemical, and cell imaging approaches in Arabidopsis thaliana. We found that eb1b-2 spr1-6 double mutant roots exhibit substantially more severe polar expansion defects than either single mutant, undergoing right-looping growth and severe axial twisting instead of waving on tilted hard-agar surfaces. Protein interaction assays revealed that EB1b and SPR1 bind each other and tubulin heterodimers, which is suggestive of a microtubule loading mechanism. EB1b and SPR1 show antagonistic association with microtubules in vitro. Surprisingly, our combined analyses revealed that SPR1 can load onto microtubules and function independently of EB1 proteins, setting SPR1 apart from most studied +TIPs in animals and fungi. Moreover, we found that the severity of defects in microtubule dynamics in spr1 eb1b mutant hypocotyl cells correlated well with the severity of growth defects. These data indicate that SPR1 and EB1b have complex interactions as they load onto microtubule plus ends and direct polar cell expansion and organ growth in response to directional cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charitha Galva
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790
| | - Viktor Kirik
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790
| | | | - Despoina Kaloriti
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790
| | - David M Rancour
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Patrick J Hussey
- School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - John C Sedbrook
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790
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Roy R, Bassham DC. Root growth movements: waving and skewing. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2014; 221-222:42-7. [PMID: 24656334 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2014.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2013] [Revised: 01/11/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2014] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Roots anchor a plant in the soil, acquire nutrition and respond to environmental cues. Roots perform these functions using intricate movements and a variety of pathways have been implicated in mediating their growth patterns. These include endogenous genetic factors, perception of multiple environmental stimuli, signaling pathways interacting with hormonal dynamics and cellular processes of rapid cell elongation. In this review we attempt to consolidate our understanding of two specific types of root movements, waving and skewing, that arise on the surface of growth media, and how they are regulated by various genes and factors. These include crucial factors that are part of a complex nexus of processes including polar auxin transport and cytoskeletal dynamics. This knowledge can be extrapolated in the future for engineering plants with root architecture better suited for different soil and growth conditions such as abiotic stresses or even extended spaceflight. Technological innovations and interdisciplinary approaches promise to allow the tracking of root movements on a much finer scale, thus helping to expedite the discovery of more nodes in the regulation of root waving and skewing and movement in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Roy
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
| | - Diane C Bassham
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; Plant Sciences Institute, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
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Scherer GFE, Pietrzyk P. Gravity-dependent differentiation and root coils in Arabidopsis thaliana wild type and phospholipase-A-I knockdown mutant grown on the International Space Station. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2014; 16 Suppl 1:97-106. [PMID: 24373011 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2013] [Accepted: 09/25/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Arabidopsis roots on 45° tilted agar in 1-g grow in wave-like figures. In addition to waves, formation of root coils is observed in several mutants compromised in gravitropism and/or auxin transport. The knockdown mutant ppla-I-1 of patatin-related phospholipase-A-I is delayed in root gravitropism and forms increased numbers of root coils. Three known factors contribute to waving: circumnutation, gravisensing and negative thigmotropism. In microgravity, deprivation of wild type (WT) and mutant roots of gravisensing and thigmotropism and circumnutation (known to slow down in microgravity, and could potentially lead to fewer waves or increased coiling in both WT and mutant). To resolve this, mutant ppla-I-1 and WT were grown in the BIOLAB facility in the International Space Station. In 1-g, roots of both types only showed waving. In the first experiment in microgravity, the mutant after 9 days formed far more coils than in 1-g but the WT also formed several coils. After 24 days in microgravity, in both types the coils were numerous with slightly more in the mutant. In the second experiment, after 9 days in microgravity only the mutant formed coils and the WT grew arcuated roots. Cell file rotation (CFR) on the mutant root surface in microgravity decreased in comparison to WT, and thus was not important for coiling. Several additional developmental responses (hypocotyl elongation, lateral root formation, cotyledon expansion) were found to be gravity-influenced. We tentatively discuss these in the context of disturbances in auxin transport, which are known to decrease through lack of gravity.
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Affiliation(s)
- G F E Scherer
- Leibniz Universität Hannover, Institut für Zierpflanzenbau und Gehölzwissenschaften, Abt. Molekulare Ertragsphysiologie, Hannover, Germany
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Wyatt SE, Kiss JZ. Plant tropisms: from Darwin to the International Space Station. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2013; 100:1-3. [PMID: 23281390 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1200591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Plant tropisms play a fundamental role in shaping the growth form of plants, and these fascinating movements are the focus of this thematic issue of the American Journal of Botany. The issue includes 16 reviews of the current literature and eight original manuscripts written by a diverse group of international experts in their respective fields. This special issue emphasizes tropistic responses to three fundamental stimuli governing plant growth: water, light, and gravity. We hope this issue will inform the current generation and inspire the next generation of plant biologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Wyatt
- Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701, USA.
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