Plant Physiology 132:1085-1096 (2003)
© 2003 American Society of Plant Biologists
CELL BIOLOGY AND SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION
Ethylene Modulates Root-Wave Responses in Arabidopsis1,[w]
Charles S. Buer,
Geoffrey O. Wasteneys and
Josette Masle*
Plant Cell Biology (C.S.B., G.O.W.), and Environmental Biology Groups (C.S.B., J.M.), The Institute of Advanced Studies, Research School of Biological Sciences, The Australian National University, G.P.O. Box 475, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
When stimulated to bend downward by being held at 45 degrees off vertical but unable to penetrate into agar-based media, Arabidopsis roots develop waving and looping growth patterns. Here, we demonstrate that ethylene modulates these responses. We determined that agar-containing plates sealed with low-porosity film generate abiotic ethylene concentrations of 0.1 to 0.3 µL L-1, whereas in plates wrapped with porous tape, ethylene remains at trace levels. We demonstrate that exogenous ethylene at concentrations as low as a few nanoliters per liter modulates root waving, root growth direction, and looping but through partly different mechanisms. Nutrients and Suc modify the effects of ethylene on root waving. Thus, ethylene had little effect on temporal wave frequency when nutrients were omitted but reduced it significantly on nutrient-supplemented agar. Suc masked the ethylene response. Ethylene consistently suppressed the normal tendency for roots of Landsberg erecta to skew to the right as they grow against hard-agar surfaces and also generated righthanded petiole twisting. Furthermore, ethylene suppressed root looping, a gravity-dependent growth response that was enhanced by high nutrient and Suc availability. Our work demonstrates that cell file twisting is not essential for root waving or skewing to occur. Differential flank growth accounted for both the extreme root waving on zero-nutrient plates and for root skewing. Root twisting was nutrient-dependent and was thus strongly associated with the looping response. The possible role of auxin transport in these responses and the involvement of circadian rhythms are discussed.
Article, publication date, and citation information can be found at www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/doi/10.1104/pp.102.019182.
1 This work was funded by a Research School of Biological Sciences Strategic Development Initiative Grant (to J.M. and G.O.W.).
[w] The online version of this article contains Web-only data. The supplemental material is available at http://www.plantphysiol.org.
2 Present address: Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109–7325.
* Corresponding author; e-mail masle{at}rsbs.anu.edu.au; fax 61–2–6125–4919.
Received December 17, 2002;
returned for revision February 21, 2003;
accepted March 11, 2003.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
|
|
 
J. Geisler-Lee, C. Caldwell, and D. R. Gallie
Expression of the ethylene biosynthetic machinery in maize roots is regulated in response to hypoxia
J. Exp. Bot.,
March 1, 2010;
61(3):
857 - 871.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Z. Chen, S. Noir, M. Kwaaitaal, H. A. Hartmann, M.-J. Wu, Y. Mudgil, P. Sukumar, G. Muday, R. Panstruga, and A. M. Jones
Two Seven-Transmembrane Domain MILDEW RESISTANCE LOCUS O Proteins Cofunction in Arabidopsis Root Thigmomorphogenesis
PLANT CELL,
July 1, 2009;
21(7):
1972 - 1991.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. S. Buer and M. A. Djordjevic
Architectural phenotypes in the transparent testa mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana
J. Exp. Bot.,
March 1, 2009;
60(3):
751 - 763.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Fortunati, S. Piconese, P. Tassone, S. Ferrari, and F. Migliaccio
A new mutant of Arabidopsis disturbed in its roots, right-handed slanting, and gravitropism defines a gene that encodes a heat-shock factor
J. Exp. Bot.,
April 9, 2008;
(2008)
ern047v2.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. M. Binder, R. C. O'Malley, W. Wang, T. C. Zutz, and A. B. Bleecker
Ethylene Stimulates Nutations That Are Dependent on the ETR1 Receptor
Plant Physiology,
December 1, 2006;
142(4):
1690 - 1700.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. S. Buer, P. Sukumar, and G. K. Muday
Ethylene Modulates Flavonoid Accumulation and Gravitropic Responses in Roots of Arabidopsis
Plant Physiology,
April 1, 2006;
140(4):
1384 - 1396.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. N. Stepanova, J. M. Hoyt, A. A. Hamilton, and J. M. Alonso
A Link between Ethylene and Auxin Uncovered by the Characterization of Two Root-Specific Ethylene-Insensitive Mutants in Arabidopsis
PLANT CELL,
August 1, 2005;
17(8):
2230 - 2242.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Y.L. Yuen, J. C. Sedbrook, R. M. Perrin, K. L. Carroll, and P. H. Masson
Loss-of-Function Mutations of ROOT HAIR DEFECTIVE3 Suppress Root Waving, Skewing, and Epidermal Cell File Rotation in Arabidopsis
Plant Physiology,
June 1, 2005;
138(2):
701 - 714.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Mochizuki, A. Harada, S. Inada, K. Sugimoto-Shirasu, N. Stacey, T. Wada, S. Ishiguro, K. Okada, and T. Sakai
The Arabidopsis WAVY GROWTH 2 Protein Modulates Root Bending in Response to Environmental Stimuli
PLANT CELL,
February 1, 2005;
17(2):
537 - 547.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. V. Thompson and N. M. Holbrook
Root-Gel Interactions and the Root Waving Behavior of Arabidopsis
Plant Physiology,
July 1, 2004;
135(3):
1822 - 1837.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. C. Sedbrook, D. W. Ehrhardt, S. E. Fisher, W.-R. Scheible, and C. R. Somerville
The Arabidopsis SKU6/SPIRAL1 Gene Encodes a Plus End-Localized Microtubule-Interacting Protein Involved in Directional Cell Expansion
PLANT CELL,
June 1, 2004;
16(6):
1506 - 1520.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. Kazama, H. Dan, H. Imaseki, and G. O. Wasteneys
Transient Exposure to Ethylene Stimulates Cell Division and Alters the Fate and Polarity of Hypocotyl Epidermal Cells
Plant Physiology,
April 1, 2004;
134(4):
1614 - 1623.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. B. Blancaflor and P. H. Masson
Plant Gravitropism. Unraveling the Ups and Downs of a Complex Process
Plant Physiology,
December 1, 2003;
133(4):
1677 - 1690.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
