scholarly journals PGPR-Induced Growth Stimulation and Nutrient Acquisition in Maize: Do Root Hairs Matter?

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 164-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. F. Weber ◽  
I. Herrmann ◽  
F. Hochholdinger ◽  
U. Ludewig ◽  
G. Neumann

Abstract Here we describe the effects of the well-characterized, commercial plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) strain Pseudomonas sp. DSMZ 13134 (Proradix®) on plant growth, root morphology, and nutrient acquisition of a maize mutant (rth2) with impaired root hair production as compared with the corresponding wild type line, to study the importance of root hairs for the interaction of the PGPR strain with the host plant. The study was conducted in rhizobox culture with a sand–soil mixture and moderate P supply. Root hair development of the mutant was clearly impaired, reflected by slower growth and limited elongation as compared with the wild type line. This defect was compensated by more intense root growth and fine root production of the mutant which was particularly expressed after inoculation with Proradix®. By contrast, PGPR inoculation had no effect on root hair length. The beneficial effects of Proradix® on root growth were reflected in higher shoot contents of the macronutrients P and K. Interestingly, negative effects on shoot accumulation of the micronutrients Zn and Cu were observed. These findings support proposed PGPR effects of this strain but also show limitations that may be explained by additional strain-specific properties. Possible implications of these findings are discussed.

2020 ◽  
Vol 127 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-166
Author(s):  
Xiaomin Ma ◽  
Xuelian Li ◽  
Uwe Ludewig

Abstract Background and Aims An increase in root hair length and density and the development of arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis are two alternative strategies of most plants to increase the root–soil surface area under phosphorus (P) deficiency. Across many plant species, root hair length and mycorrhization density are inversely correlated. Root architecture, rooting density and physiology also differ between species. This study aims to understand the relationship among root hairs, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization, plant growth, P acquisition and mycorrhizal-specific Pi transporter gene expression in maize. Methods Using nearly isogenic maize lines, the B73 wild type and the rth3 root hairless mutant, we quantified the effect of root hairs and AMF infection in a calcareous soil under P deficiency through a combined analysis of morphological, physiological and molecular factors. Key Results Wild-type root hairs extended the rhizosphere for acid phosphatase activity by 0.5 mm compared with the rth3 hairless mutant, as measured by in situ zymography. Total root length of the wild type was longer than that of rth3 under P deficiency. Higher AMF colonization and mycorrhiza-induced phosphate transporter gene expression were identified in the mutant under P deficiency, but plant growth and P acquisition were similar between mutant and the wild type. The mycorrhizal dependency of maize was 33 % higher than the root hair dependency. Conclusions The results identified larger mycorrhizal dependency than root hair dependency under P deficiency in maize. Root hairs and AMF inoculation are two alternative ways to increase Pi acquisition under P deficiency, but these two strategies compete with each other.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen Schlüter ◽  
Eva Lippold ◽  
Maxime Phalempin ◽  
Doris Vetterlein

<p>Root hairs are one root trait among many which enables plants to adapt to environmental conditions. How different traits are coordinated and whether some are mutually exclusive is currently poorly understood. Comparing a root hair defective mutant with its corresponding wild-type we explored if and how the mutant exhibited root growth adaption strategies and as to how far this depended on the substrate.</p><p>Zea mays root hair defective mutant (rth3) and the corresponding wild-type siblings were grown on two substrates with contrasting texture and hence nutrient mobility. Root system architecture was investigated over time using repeated X-ray computed tomography.</p><p>There was no plastic adaption of root system architecture to the lack of root hairs, which resulted in lower uptake in particular in the substrate with low P mobility. The function of the root hairs for anchoring did not result in different depth profiles of the root length density between genotypes. Both maize genotypes showed a marked response to substrate. This was well reflected in the spatiotemporal development of rhizosphere volume fraction but especially in the strong response of root diameter to substrate, irrespective of genotype.</p><p>The most salient root plasticity trait was root diameter in response to substrate, whereas coping mechanisms for missing root hairs were less evident. Further experiments are required to elucidate whether observed differences can be explained by mechanical properties beyond mechanical impedance, root or microbiome ethylene production or differences in diffusion processes within the root or the rhizosphere.</p>


Author(s):  
Celeste Molina‐Favero ◽  
Cecilia Mónica Creus ◽  
María Luciana Lanteri ◽  
Natalia Correa‐Aragunde ◽  
María Cristina Lombardo ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Marin ◽  
Deborah S Feeney ◽  
Lawrie K Brown ◽  
Muhammad Naveed ◽  
Siul Ruiz ◽  
...  

<p>Root hairs represent an attractive target for future crop breeding, to improve resource use efficiency and stress tolerance. Most studies investigating root hairs have focused on plant tolerance to phosphorus deficiency and rhizosheath formation under controlled conditions. However, data on the interplay between root hairs and open-field systems, under contrasting soils and climate conditions, are limited. Although root hairs and rhizosphere are assumed to play a key role in regulating plant water relations, their effect on plant water uptake has been rarely investigated. As such, this study aimed to experimentally elucidate some of the impacts that root hairs have on plant performance under field conditions and water deficit. A field experiment was set up in Scotland for two consecutive years, in 2017 (a typical year) and 2018 (the driest growing season ever recorded at this site), under different soil textures (i.e., clay loam vs. sandy loam). Five barley (Hordeum vulgare) genotypes exhibiting variation in root hair length and density were used in the study. Measurements of root hair density, length and its correlation with rhizosheath weight highlighted trait robustness in the field under variable environmental conditions. Root hairs did not confer a notable advantage to barley under optimal conditions, but under soil water deficit root hairs enhanced plant water status and stress tolerance. This resulted in less negative leaf water potential and lower leaf abscisic acid concentration, while promoting shoot phosphorus accumulation. Specifically, minimum leaf water potential differed significantly (P = 0.021) between the wild type (-1.43 MPa) and its hairless mutant (-1.76 MPa) grown in clay loam, with the mutant exhibiting greater water stress. In agreement with leaf water potential measurements, at the peak of water stress, leaf abscisic acid concentration was significantly (P = 0.023) greater for the hairless mutant (394 ng g<sup>-1</sup>) than the wild type (250 ng g<sup>-1</sup>) grown in clay loam soil. Under water deficit conditions, in clay loam soil, shoot phosphorus accumulation in the wild type (2.49 mg P shoot<sup>-1</sup>) was over twice that in the hairless mutant (1.10 mg P shoot<sup>-1</sup>). Furthermore, the presence of root hairs did not decrease yield under optimal conditions, while root hairs enhanced yield stability under drought. While yield of the hairless mutant significantly (P = 0.012) decreased from 2017 to 2018 in both clay (-26%) and sandy (-33%) loam soils, no significant differences were found between years in the yield of the wild type. Therefore, selecting for beneficial root hair traits can enhance yield stability without diminishing yield potential, overcoming the breeder’s dilemma of trying to simultaneously enhance both productivity and resilience. To our knowledge, the present findings provide the first evidence of the effect of root hairs under drought in open field conditions (i.e., real agricultural system). Therefore, along with the well-recognized role for P uptake, maintenance or enhancement of root hairs can represent a key trait for breeding the next generation of crops for improved drought tolerance in relation to climate change.</p>


Development ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 122 (4) ◽  
pp. 1253-1260 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.D. Masucci ◽  
W.G. Rerie ◽  
D.R. Foreman ◽  
M. Zhang ◽  
M.E. Galway ◽  
...  

The role of the Arabidopsis homeobox gene, GLABRA 2 (GL2), in the development of the root epidermis has been investigated. The wild-type epidermis is composed of two cell types, root-hair cells and hairless cells, which are located at distinct positions within the root, implying that positional cues control cell-type differentiation. During the development of the root epidermis, the differentiating root-hair cells (trichoblasts) and the differentiating hairless cells (atrichoblasts) can be distinguished by their cytoplasmic density, vacuole formation, and extent of elongation. We have determined that mutations in the GL2 gene specifically alter the differentiation of the hairless epidermal cells, causing them to produce root hairs, which indicates that GL2 affects epidermal cell identity. Detailed analyses of these differentiating cells showed that, despite forming root hairs, they are similar to atrichoblasts of the wild type in their cytoplasmic characteristics, timing of vacuolation, and extent of cell elongation. The results of in situ nucleic acid hybridization and GUS reporter gene fusion studies show that the GL2 gene is preferentially expressed in the differentiating hairless cells of the wild type, during a period in which epidermal cell identity is believed to be established. These results indicate that the GL2 homeodomain protein normally regulates a subset of the processes that occur during the differentiation of hairless epidermal cells of the Arabidopsis root. Specifically, GL2 appears to act in a cell-position-dependent manner to suppress hair formation in differentiating hairless cells.


Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 66
Author(s):  
Irina O. Averkina ◽  
Ivan A. Paponov ◽  
Jose J. Sánchez-Serrano ◽  
Cathrine Lillo

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) stimulate plant growth, but the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. In this study, we asked whether PROTEIN PHOSPHATASE 2A (PP2A), a regulatory molecular component of stress, growth, and developmental signaling networks in plants, contributes to the plant growth responses induced by the PGPR Azospirillum brasilense (wild type strain Sp245 and auxin deficient strain FAJ0009) and Pseudomonas simiae (WCS417r). The PGPR were co-cultivated with Arabidopsis wild type (WT) and PP2A (related) mutants. These plants had mutations in the PP2A catalytic subunits (C), and the PP2A activity-modulating genes LEUCINE CARBOXYL METHYL TRANSFERASE 1 (LCMT1) and PHOSPHOTYROSYL PHOSPHATASE ACTIVATOR (PTPA). When exposed to the three PGPR, WT and all mutant Arabidopsis revealed the typical phenotype of PGPR-treated plants with shortened primary root and increased lateral root density. Fresh weight of plants generally increased when the seedlings were exposed to the bacteria strains, with the exception of catalytic subunit double mutant c2c5. The positive effect on root and shoot fresh weight was especially pronounced in Arabidopsis mutants with low PP2A activity. Comparison of different mutants indicated a significant role of the PP2A catalytic subunits C2 and C5 for a positive response to PGPR.


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