Preferential translocation of boron to young leaves in Arabidopsis thaliana Regulated by the BOR1 Gene

A mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana, bor1-1 (Noguchi et al. 1997: Plant Physiol., 115, 901–916) requires high levels of boron (B) for normal growth. We analyzed the B-deficiency symptoms of bor1-1 mutant plants in detail. A low B supply retarded the growth of the mutant plants more evidently in leaves than in roots. In particular, cell expansion and formation of air spaces were severely impaired by B deficiency in young rosette leaves. Such defects in growth were correlated with the reduced contents of B in leaves. These defects were not observed when a sufficient amount of B was supplied. Uptake experiments with ¹⁰B-enriched tracer B demonstrated that B taken up through roots was preferentially transported to young leaves compared to old leaves in the wild-type plants under a low B supply. Such a preferential transport to young leaves was not evident in the mutant plants. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that in A. thaliana plants B is preferentially transported to young organs under a low B supply and that this transport process is controlled at least in part by the BOR1 gene.     

Increased supply of boron to swiss chard plants did not affect the level of boron in a cell wall-bound form: A possible application to the diagnosis of nutrition of plants

Swiss chard plants were water-cultured under various B levels ranging from 0.01 to 20 g B m^-3 culture solutions for 4 weeks. The B content of the shoot increased with the increase in the B supply. The increase, however, was entirely ascribed to acetate buffer (20 mol m^-3 pH 4.0)-soluble B, and the content of acetate buffer-insoluble, cell wall-bound B did not increase.. More than ca. 80% of the cell wall-bound B was associated with rhamnogalacturonan II under various B levels. The amount of acetate buffer-soluble B could be estimated from the B levels in the expressed leaf sap.     

小麦根尖细胞壁对铝的吸附/解吸特性及其与耐铝性的关系

研究了耐铝性明显差异的2个小麦基因型西矮麦1号(耐性)和辐84系(敏感)根系对铝毒胁迫的反应与根尖细胞壁组分以及细胞壁对铝的吸附和解吸的关系。结果表明,30mol/L.AlCl3可迅速抑制小麦根系伸长,但对辐84系根系伸长的抑制更为明显,且小麦根系相对伸长率随着铝浓度的提高而急剧降低。在30mol/L.AlCl3处理24h后,西矮麦1号根系伸长的抑制率为33.3%,而辐84系根系伸长的抑制率高达70.9%。小麦距根尖0～10.mm根段的铝含量和细胞壁中果胶糖醛酸含量显著高于10～20.mm根段,且前者对铝的累积吸附量明显大于后者;在0～10.mm根段,敏感基因型果胶含量高于耐性基因型,其根尖含铝量及根尖细胞壁对铝的吸附量都要大于后者。采用1.0.mol/L.NH3.H2O对细胞壁预处理2.h降低果胶甲基酯化程度后,耐性和敏感基因型根尖细胞壁对铝的累积吸附量分别降低了17.1%和20.9%,但对铝的累积解吸率没有影响。由此可见,小麦根尖是铝毒的主要位点,细胞壁果胶含量和果胶甲基酯化程度可能是导致不同小麦基因型根尖细胞壁对铝吸附量、铝积累量的差异及其对铝毒胁迫反应的差异的重要原因。     

Ammonium uptake capacity and response of cytosolic glutamine synthetase 1;2 to ammonium supply are key factors for the adaptation of ammonium nutrition in Arabidopsis thaliana

Plant requires nitrogen for the growth, and it use nitrate and ammonium from the environment. Plant suffers from the toxicity when excess ammonium is supplied as a sole nitrogen, although it could be a good nitrogen source for plant growth. We hypothesized that the different responses of ecotypes to ammonium nutrient could partly account for the adaptation of Arabidopsis to an ammonium environment. The purpose of this study is to understand the different responses of ecotypes in ammonium environment. The growth of Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes, Columbia was compared to those of Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes, Landsberg erecta in ammonium nutrient. The ratio of shoot dry weight to root dry weight was compared to evaluate the adaptation of two ecotypes. The shoot:root ratio of Landsberg was significantly higher than that of Columbia. T-DNA insertion in cytosolic glutamine synthetase 1;2, one of the essential ammonium assimilatory enzymes, led a decrease of shoot:root ratio. We also measured the isotope-labeled ammonium uptake and the expression levels of ammonium transporter genes, and also the expression of ammonium assimilatory genes, glutamine synthetase genes and glutamate synthase genes, in roots after ammonium re-supply using real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. We found that (1) ammonium uptake of Landsberg erecta was higher than that of Columbia, when ammonium was supplied at higher concentration, and (2) cytosolic glutamine synthetase 1;2 was highly increased by ammonium supply in the root of Landsberg erecta. The present study suggested the importance of these two factors for adaptation of Arabidopsis to an ammonium-rich environment.     

Decline in leaf growth under salt stress is due to an inhibition of H+‐pumping activity and increase in apoplastic pH of maize leaves

In this study, salt‐induced changes in the growth rate of maize (Zea mays L.) were investigated during the first phase of salt stress. Leaf growth was reduced in the presence of 100 mM NaCl, and effects were more pronounced for the salt‐sensitive cv. Pioneer 3906 in comparison to the hybrid SR03. While hydrolytic activity of plasma membrane remained unaffected, H⁺‐pumping activity was reduced by 47% in Pioneer 3906, but was unchanged in SR03. Changes in apoplastic pH were detected by ratiometric fluorescence microscopy using the fluorescent dye fluorescein isothiocyanate‐dextran (50 mM). Pioneer 3906 responded with an increase of 0.2 pH units in contrast to SR03 for which no apoplastic alkalization was found. With respect to the hypothesis that the apoplastic pH is influenced by salinity, it is suggested that salt resistance is partly achieved due to efficient H⁺‐ATPase proton pumping, which results in cell‐wall acidification and loosening.     

Physical properties of a Luvisol for different long‐term fertilization treatments: II. Microscale behavior and its relation to the mesoscale

We determined the impact of different fertilization, namely organic vs. mineral fertilization, on the mesoscale parameter cyclic compressibility as well as on rheology of soil samples as a microscale parameter and how these parameters are related. Therefore, undisturbed samples were taken from a long‐term fertilization trial at the Dikop farm near Bonn (Germany) and tested for their mechanical and hydraulic properties. This paper examines the sensitivity of the soil towards cyclic loading (mesoscale) and oscillatory shearing at the microscale by means of an amplitude sweep test and the resulting parameter maximum shear stress. Fertilization increased cyclic compressibility and thus revealed structural weakness of fertilized soil samples, so did shear stress at the microscale. The main reason for this was a decrease in bulk density in the wake of fertilization. However, within the range of fertilized soil samples, the soil structure became less susceptible towards cyclic loading and oscillatory shearing, respectively, the more organic matter the soil contained (equivalent to the fertilization level). This was assumedly caused by enhanced cementation due to organic substances that could partly substitute the direct grain–grain contacts generally contributing to soil strength. The similar behavior of cyclic compressibility and maximum shear stress enabled a first approach to relate soil mechanical parameters at the microscale to those at the mesoscale.     

Commercial agriculture as creative destruction or destructive creation: a case study of chili cultivation and plant‐pest disease in the southern Yucatán region

Agricultural change encompasses both social and ecological alterations, some negative, some positive. Studies of land change and land degradation treat plant pest and diseases triggered by agricultural change in an inconsistent fashion. A study of the southern Yucatán region of Mexico reveals that the shift to commercial chili cultivation yields both positive and negative consequences, akin to the concepts of creative destruction and destructive creation. The negative consequences are dramatically amplified by persistent plant pest and diseases apparently triggered by the means of cultivation and by the inclusion of the region into a national marketing structure. Thus, while providing economic benefits to some of the farmers of the region the short‐ and long‐term impacts of chili cultivation on farmer households is mixed. Studies of agricultural land‐use change and household economics will benefit by incorporating plant pests and diseases as one of the suite of factors involved in land degradation. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.