The effect of intracellular geometry on auxin transport. I. Centrifugation experiments

When coleoptiles are centrifuged, the velocity of transport of the plant hormone auxin is dramatically altered. I show here that this may be due to changes in internal cell geometry. The tonoplast, the membrane surrounding the vacuole, may present a substantial permeability barrier for the diffusion of auxin. After centrifugation, the cytoplasm sediments to one end of the cell, displacing the vacuole to the other. If auxin, on entering the cell, must first accumulate in a mass of cytoplasm before crossing the tonoplast, the velocity will be lowered. If, on the other hand, there is only a thin layer of cytoplasm where auxin enters, high concentrations will quickly build up and enable auxin to cross the tonoplast, giving a high velocity. This would explain why centrifugation in a basal direction increases velocity, while apical centrifugation de­creases it. If this explanation is correct, and if the tonoplast constitutes an appreciable permeability barrier, then the position of the vacuole may strongly influence the flux of auxin inside a cell. I show in the adjoining paper that this can explain the changed transport pattern seen during the geotropic response.

1980 ◽  
Vol 209 (1177) ◽  
pp. 489-511 ◽  

The plant hormone auxin is transported with a well defined velocity through many tissues. To explain this, one type of theory proposes that a polar mechanism operates at the interface between two cells. I show that, if auxin diffuses freely through the interior of cells, then there is an upper limit to the velocity that can be achieved by such a mechanism. This is compatible with the observed velocities provided that the diffusion constant for auxin within a cell is not much less than that measured for auxin in aqueous media. Cytoplasmic streaming, unless specially organized, would not assist the movement of auxin. This is because rapid diffusion between streams will cancel out any directed motion. I also show that the permeability that characterizes the forward movement between cells must exceed a certain limit. If auxin moves mainly through the cytoplasm, which occupies only a small part of the volume of a cell, then the permeability per unit area of membrane needed to achieve a given velocity is much reduced. Transport would be channelled through the cytoplasm if the membrane bounding the vacuole were relatively impermeable to auxin. The theory that I develop leads to predictions about, for example, the route of auxin and its concentration gradients within cells, and the dependence of velocity on cell length.


2020 ◽  
Vol 295 (37) ◽  
pp. 13094-13105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pengchao Hao ◽  
Jian Xia ◽  
Jie Liu ◽  
Martin Di Donato ◽  
Konrad Pakula ◽  
...  

The plant hormone auxin must be transported throughout plants in a cell-to-cell manner to affect its various physiological functions. ABCB transporters are critical for this polar auxin distribution, but the regulatory mechanisms controlling their function is not fully understood. The auxin transport activity of ABCB1 was suggested to be regulated by a physical interaction with FKBP42/Twisted Dwarf1 (TWD1), a peptidylprolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase), but all attempts to demonstrate such a PPIase activity by TWD1 have failed so far. By using a structure-based approach, we identified several surface-exposed proline residues in the nucleotide binding domain and linker of Arabidopsis ABCB1, mutations of which do not alter ABCB1 protein stability or location but do affect its transport activity. P1008 is part of a conserved signature D/E-P motif that seems to be specific for auxin-transporting ABCBs, which we now refer to as ATAs. Mutation of the acidic residue also abolishes auxin transport activity by ABCB1. All higher plant ABCBs for which auxin transport has been conclusively proven carry this conserved motif, underlining its predictive potential. Introduction of this D/E-P motif into malate importer, ABCB14, increases both its malate and its background auxin transport activity, suggesting that this motif has an impact on transport capacity. The D/E-P1008 motif is also important for ABCB1-TWD1 interactions and activation of ABCB1-mediated auxin transport by TWD1. In summary, our data imply a new function for TWD1 acting as a putative activator of ABCB-mediated auxin transport by cis-trans isomerization of peptidyl-prolyl bonds.


When a shoot is tilted, the transport of auxin along its axis acquires a downward component. It has been conjectured that the sinking of dense starch granules, called statoliths, to the lowest part of cells somehow causes this downward diversion of auxin flow, but it is not known how thîs is brought about. I propose a mechanism by which statolith movement could influence auxin transport. Suppose that cytoplasm accumulates in the lower part of the cell around the statoliths, displacing the vacuole upwards and leaving a comparatively thin layer of cytoplasm elsewhere. If auxin moves through cells by diffusion, and if the tonoplast is a substantial permeability barrier, then more auxin will move through the cytoplasm in the lower part of the cell, and there will be a downward diversion of auxin, as required. I give calculations to support this argument, and show that a large enough downward diversion of auxin could be achieved if the permeability of the tonoplast is not too large.


Science ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 311 (5759) ◽  
pp. 385-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Xu ◽  
Hugo Hofhuis ◽  
Renze Heidstra ◽  
Michael Sauer ◽  
Jiří Friml ◽  
...  

Plants and some animals have a profound capacity to regenerate organs from adult tissues. Molecular mechanisms for regeneration have, however, been largely unexplored. Here we investigate a local regeneration response in Arabidopsis roots. Laser-induced wounding disrupts the flow of auxin—a cell-fate–instructive plant hormone—in root tips, and we demonstrate that resulting cell-fate changes require the PLETHORA, SHORTROOT, and SCARECROW transcription factors. These transcription factors regulate the expression and polar position of PIN auxin efflux–facilitating membrane proteins to reconstitute auxin transport in renewed root tips.Thus, a regeneration mechanism using embryonic root stem-cell patterning factors first responds to and subsequently stabilizes a new hormone distribution.


Author(s):  
Adam Rajsz ◽  
Bronisław Wojtuń ◽  
Aleksandra Samecka-Cymerman ◽  
Paweł Wąsowicz ◽  
Lucyna Mróz ◽  
...  

AbstractThis investigation was conducted to identify the content of metals in Calluna vulgaris (family Ericaceae), Empetrum nigrum (family Ericaceae), Festuca vivipara (family Poaceae) and Thymus praecox subsp. arcticus (family Lamiaceae), as well as in the soils where they were growing in eight geothermal heathlands in Iceland. Investigation into the vegetation of geothermal areas is crucial and may contribute to their proper protection in the future and bring more understanding under what conditions the plants respond to an ecologically more extreme situation. Plants from geothermally active sites were enriched with metals as compared to the same species from non-geothermal control sites (at an average from about 150 m from geothermal activity). The enriched metals consisted of Cd, Co, Cu, Fe and Ni in C. vulgaris; Cd, Mn and Ti in E. nigrum; Hg and Pb in F. vivipara; and Cd, Fe and Hg in T. praecox. Notably, C. vulgaris, E. nigrum, F. vivipara and T. praecox had remarkably high concentrations of Ti at levels typical of toxicity thresholds. Cd and Pb (except for C. vulgaris and F. vivipara) were not accumulated in the shoots of geothermal plants. C. vulgaris from geothermal and control sites was characterised by the highest bioaccumulation factor (BF) of Ti and Mn; E. nigrum and F. vivipara by the highest BF of Ti and Cr; and T. praecox by the highest BF of Ti and Zn compared to the other elements. In comparison with the other examined species, F. vivipara from geothermal sites had the highest concentration of Ti in above-ground parts at any concentration of plant-available Ti in soil.


Genetics ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 161 (3) ◽  
pp. 1247-1255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eiji Nambara ◽  
Masaharu Suzuki ◽  
Suzanne Abrams ◽  
Donald R McCarty ◽  
Yuji Kamiya ◽  
...  

Abstract The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) controls many aspects of plant growth and development under a diverse range of environmental conditions. To identify genes functioning in ABA signaling, we have carried out a screen for mutants that takes advantage of the ability of wild-type Arabidopsis seeds to respond to (−)-(R)-ABA, an enantiomer of the natural (+)-(S)-ABA. The premise of the screen was to identify mutations that preferentially alter their germination response in the presence of one stereoisomer vs. the other. Twenty-six mutants were identified and genetic analysis on 23 lines defines two new loci, designated CHOTTO1 and CHOTTO2, and a collection of new mutant alleles of the ABA-insensitive genes, ABI3, ABI4, and ABI5. The abi5 alleles are less sensitive to (+)-ABA than to (−)-ABA. In contrast, the abi3 alleles exhibit a variety of differences in response to the ABA isomers. Genetic and molecular analysis of these alleles suggests that the ABI3 transcription factor may perceive multiple ABA signals.


2006 ◽  
Vol 53 (11) ◽  
pp. 205-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Le Noir ◽  
B. Guieysse ◽  
B. Mattiasson

This work was conducted to study the potential of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for the removal of oestradiol at trace concentrations (1 ppm–1 ppb). An MIP synthesised with 17β-oestradiol as template was compared to non-imprinted polymers (NIP) synthesised under the same conditions but without template, a commercial C18 extraction phase and granulated activated carbon. At 1 ppb oestradiol was recovered by 98±2% when using the MIP, compared to 90±1, 79±1, and 84±2% when using the NIP, a C18 phase, or granulated activated carbon, respectively. According to these levels, the MIP was capable of producing an effluent with a quality 5–10 times higher than the other materials. The same levels of oestradiol recovery were achieved with the MIP when supplying 17β-oestradiol at 0.1 ppm. Phenolic compounds added as interferences bound less to the MIP than to the NIP, confirming the selectivity of the MIP. Oestradiol biodegradation was also demonstrated at high concentrations (50 ppm), showing the pollutants can be safely destructed after being enriched by molecular extraction. This study demonstrates the potential of molecular imprinted polymers as a highly efficient specific adsorbent for the removal of trace contaminants.


2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 535-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Altaf ◽  
S Singh ◽  
VV Bhanu Prasad ◽  
Manish Patel

The compressive strength of C/SiC composite at different strain rates, off-axis orientations and after high-velocity impact was studied. The compressive strength was found to be 137 ± 23, 130 ± 46 and 162 ± 33 MPa at a strain rate of 3.3 × 10−5, 3.3 × 10−3, 3.3 × 10−3 s−1, respectively. On the other hand, the compressive strength was found to be 130 ± 46, 99 ± 23 and 87 ± 9 MPa for 0°/90°, 30°/60° and 45°/45° fibre orientations to loading direction, respectively. After high-velocity impact, the residual compressive strength of C/SiC composite was found to be 58 ± 26, 44 ± 18 and 36 ± 3.5 MPa after impact with 100, 150 and 190 m/s, respectively. The formation of kink bands in fibre bundles was found to be dominant micro-mechanism for compressive failure of C/SiC composite for 0°/90° orientation. On the other hand, delamination and the fibre bundles rotation were found to be the dominant mechanism for off-axis failure of composite.


1926 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Reznikoff

I. Plasmalemma. 1. The order of toxicity of the salts used in these experiments on the surface membrane of a cell, taking as a criterion viability of amebæ immersed in solutions for 1 day, is HgCl2, FeCl3> AlCl3> CuCl2> PbCl2> FeCl2. Using viability for 5 days as a criterion, the order of toxicity is PbCl2> CuCl2> HgCl2> AlCl3> FeCl3> FeCl2. 2. The rate of toxicity is in the order FeCl3> HgCl2> AlCl3> FeCl2> CuCl2> PbCl2. 3. The ability of amebæ to recover from a marked tear of the plasmalemma in the solutions of the salts occurred in the following order: AlCl3> PbCl2> FeCl2> CuCl2> FeCl3> HgCl2. II. Internal Protoplasm. 4. The relative toxicity of the salts on the internal protoplasm, judged by the recovery of the amebæ from large injections and the range over which these salts can cause coagulation of the internal protoplasm, is in the following order: PbCl2> CuCl2> FeCl3> HgCl2> FeCl2> AlCl3. 5. AlCl3 in concentrations between M/32 and M/250 causes a marked temporary enlargement of the contractile vacuole. FeCl2, FeCl3, and CuCl3 produce a slight enlargement of the vacuole. 6. PbCl2, in concentrations used in these experiments, appears to form a different type of combination with the internal protoplasm than do the other salts. III. Permeability. 7. Using the similarity in appearance of the internal protoplasm after injection and after immersion to indicate that the surface is permeable to a substance in which the ameba is immersed, it is concluded that AlCl3 can easily penetrate the intact plasmalemma. CuCl2 also seems to have some penetrating power. None of the other salts studied give visible internal evidence of penetrability into the ameba. IV. Toxicity. 8. The toxic action of the chlorides of the heavy metals used in these experiments, and of aluminum, is exerted principally upon the surface of the cell and is due not only to the action of the metal cation but also to acid which is produced by hydrolysis.


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