Dataset Information

Hydraulic Strategy of Cactus Root-Stem Junction for Effective Water Transport.

ABSTRACT: Cactus roots function as a hydraulic safety valve by conducting available water quickly and preventing water loss under drought condition. In particular, the root-stem (R-S) junction is responsible for effective water transport by direct coupling of the water absorptive thin roots and the moisture-filled bulky stem. In this study, the morphological features of the R-S junction were observed by using X-ray micro-imaging technique. Their structural and functional characteristics were also elucidated according to a hydrodynamic viewpoint. With regard to the axial water transport through xylem, the R-S junction prevents water leakage by embolizing large-scale vessels with relatively high hydraulic conductivity. In addition, the axial theoretical hydraulic conductivity of xylem vessels from the roots to the stem drastically increases to facilitate water absorption and prevent water loss. The cortex cell layer of a cactus is thinner than that of other plant species. In the viewpoint of radial conductivity, this property can be the hydraulic strategy of the cactus R-S junction to transport water quickly from the root surface into the xylem. These results suggest that the R-S junction functions as a hydraulic safety valve that can maximize water uptake in axial and radial directions at limited rainfall. This junction can also prevent the stem from leaking water under drought condition.

SUBMITTER: Kim H

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6005991 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Water deficits are known to alter fine root structure and function, but little is known about how these responses contribute to differences in drought resistance across grapevine rootstocks. The ways in which water deficit affects root anatomical and physiological characteristics were studied in two grapevine rootstocks considered as low-medium (101-14Mgt) and highly (110R) drought resistant. Rootstocks were grown under prolonged and repeated drying cycles or frequent watering ('dry' and 'wet' treatments, respectively), and the following parameters were evaluated: root osmotic and hydrostatic hydraulic conductivity (Lp os and Lp hyd, respectively), suberization, steady-state root pressure (P rs), sap exudation rates, sap osmotic potential, and exosmotic relaxation curves. For both rootstocks, the 'dry' treatment reduced fine root Lp, elicited earlier root suberization and higher sap osmotic potential, and generated greater P rs after rewatering, but the rootstocks responded differently under these conditions. Lp os, Lp hyd, and sap exudation rates were significantly higher in 110R than in 101-14Mgt, regardless of moisture treatment. Under 'dry' conditions, 110R maintained a similar Lp os and decreased the Lp hyd by 36% compared with 'wet' conditions, while both parameters were decreased by at least 50% for 101-14Mgt under 'dry' conditions. Interestingly, build-up of P rs in 110R was 34% lower on average than in 101-14Mgt, suggesting differences in the development of suberized apoplastic barriers between the rootstocks as visualized by analysis of suberization from fluorescence microscopy. Consistent with this pattern, 110R exhibited the greatest exosmotic Lp os (i.e. Lp os of water flowing from roots to the soil) as determined from relaxation curves under wet conditions, where backflow may have limited its capacity to generate positive xylem pressure. The traits studied here can be used in combination to provide new insights needed for screening drought resistance across grapevine rootstocks.

Project description:BACKGROUND:With increasing joint research cooperation on national and international levels, there is a high need for harmonized and reproducible cultivation conditions and experimental protocols in order to ensure the best comparability and reliability of acquired data. As a result, not only comparisons of findings of different laboratories working with the same species but also of entirely different species would be facilitated. As Populus is becoming an increasingly important genus in modern science and agroforestry, the integration of findings with previously gained knowledge of other crop species is of high significance. RESULTS:To ease and ensure the comparability of investigations of root suberization and water transport, on a high degree of methodological reproducibility, we set up a hydroponics-based experimental pipeline. This includes plant cultivation, root histochemistry, analytical investigation, and root water transport measurement. A 5-week-long hydroponic cultivation period including an optional final week of stress application resulted in a highly consistent poplar root development. The poplar roots were of conical geometry and exhibited a typical Casparian band development with subsequent continuously increasing suberization of the endodermis. Poplar root suberin was composed of the most frequently described suberin substance classes, but also high amounts of benzoic acid derivatives could be identified. Root transport physiology experiments revealed that poplar roots in this developmental stage have a two- to tenfold higher hydrostatic than osmotic hydraulic conductivity. Lastly, the hydroponic cultivation allowed the application of gradually defined osmotic stress conditions illustrating the precise adjustability of hydroponic experiments as well as the previously reported sensitivity of poplar plants to water deficits. CONCLUSIONS:By maintaining a high degree of harmonization, we were able to compare our results to previously published data on root suberization and water transport of barley and other crop species. Regarding hydroponic poplar cultivation, we enabled high reliability, reproducibility, and comparability for future experiments. In contrast to abiotic stress conditions applied during axenic tissue culture cultivation, this experimental pipeline offers great advantages including the growth of roots in the dark, easy access to root systems before, during, and after stress conditions, and the more accurate definition of the developmental stages of the roots.

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Hydraulic Strategy of Cactus Root-Stem Junction for Effective Water Transport.

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