Use of mutants to study long‐distance signalling in response to compacted soil

• Published in: Journal of experimental botany Vol. 53; no. 366; pp. 45 - 50
• Main Authors: Roberts, Jeremy A., Hussain, Ahmed, Taylor, Ian B., Black, Colin R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.01.2002; OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
• Subjects: ABA; Abscisic acid; Abscisic Acid - metabolism; Acid soils; Adaptation, Physiological; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Cell physiology; Chemical agents; Compacted soils; Economic plant physiology; ethylene; Ethylene production; Ethylenes - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Growth and development; Growth regulators; Long-Distance Signalling (short papers); Lycopersicon esculentum; Lycopersicon esculentum - genetics; Lycopersicon esculentum - physiology; Molecular and cellular biology; mutants; Mutation; Plant growth; Plant growth regulators; Plant physiology and development; Plant roots; Plant Structures - genetics; Plant Structures - physiology; Plants; Root growth; Signal Transduction; signalling; Soil - standards; Soil compaction; tomato; Vegetative apparatus, growth and morphogenesis. Senescence; Water - metabolism; Xylem; Anaerobiosis; Long distance; Growth; Oxidase; Ethylene; Review; Compaction; Signal transduction; Regulation(control); Dicotyledones; Sesquiterpenes; Angiospermae; Lycopersicon esculentum; Stomatal movement; Abscisic acid; Plant growth substance; Solanaceae; Intraspecific comparison; Mechanism of action; Enzyme; Genetic variant; Vegetable crop; Spermatophyta; Oxidoreductases; Phytohormone; Mutation
• ISSN: 0022-0957; 1460-2431
• DOI: 10.1093/jexbot/53.366.45

When plants encounter compacted soil, stomatal closure occurs and shoot growth slows. These responses occur in the absence of detectable changes in foliar water status. The use of genotypes with a reduced capacity to synthesize either ABA or ethylene has provided convincing evidence that ABA is responsible for providing the signal that regulates stomatal aperture, whereas increased ethylene production leads to an inhibition of shoot growth. Compaction results in an elevated export of ABA from the roots while enhanced ethylene synthesis is associated with increased expression of ACC oxidase in the aerial parts of the plant. Future work will explore the mechanisms responsible for regulating these events and the contribution of anaerobiosis to the stresses experienced by roots growing under compacted conditions.