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First published online October 1, 2004; 10.1104/pp.104.040527

Plant Physiology 136:3383-3395 (2004)
© 2004 American Society of Plant Biologists

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PLANT NUTRITION

Use of Phenylboronic Acids to Investigate Boron Function in Plants. Possible Role of Boron in Transvacuolar Cytoplasmic Strands and Cell-to-Wall Adhesion

Elias Bassil, Hening Hu and Patrick H. Brown*

Pomology Department, University of California, Davis, California 95616

The only defined physiological role of boron in plants is as a cross-linking molecule involving reversible covalent bonds with cis-diols on either side of borate. Boronic acids, which form the same reversible bonds with cis-diols but cannot cross-link two molecules, were used to selectively disrupt boron function in plants. In cultured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv BY-2) cells, addition of boronic acids caused the disruption of cytoplasmic strands and cell-to-cell wall detachment. The effect of the boronic acids could be relieved by the addition of boron-complexing sugars and was proportional to the boronic acid-binding strength of the sugar. Experiments with germinating petunia (Petunia hybrida) pollen and boronate-affinity chromatography showed that boronic acids and boron compete for the same binding sites. The boronic acids appear to specifically disrupt or prevent borate-dependent cross-links important for the structural integrity of the cell, including the organization of transvacuolar cytoplasmic strands. Boron likely plays a structural role in the plant cytoskeleton. We conclude that boronic acids can be used to rapidly and reversibly induce boron deficiency-like responses and therefore are useful tools for investigating boron function in plants.

Article, publication date, and citation information can be found at www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/doi/10.1104/pp.104.040527.

* Corresponding author; e-mail phbrown{at}ucdavis.edu; fax 530–752–8502.

Received February 5, 2004; returned for revision March 31, 2004; accepted April 7, 2004.




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