The roots and stems of dicotyledonous plants thicken by the cell proliferation in the cambium. Cambial proliferation changes in response to environmental factors; however, the molecular mechanisms that regulate cambial activity are largely unknown. The quadruple Arabidopsis thaliana mutant atipt1;3;5;7, in which 4 genes encoding cytokinin biosynthetic isopentenyltransferases are disrupted by T-...

Shoot glucosinolate profiles of Brassicaceae are known to vary within species, across environmental conditions, and between developmental stages. Here we study whether root profiles follow the intra-specific, environmental, and developmental variation observed for aerial parts in white cabbage cultivars. We also assess whether greenhouse studies can be used to predict shoot and root glucosinola...

The single and joint effects of chromium (Cr) and benzo (a) pyrene (B (a) P) on the seed germination and the elongation of root and shoot of Lolium perenne were investigated. Seed germination represents the first important step to effective phytoremediation. Young seedlings may be susceptible to PAH and heavy metal contaminants. The results showed that in solution, increasing concentration of C...

Zinc (Zn) deficiency in major food crops has been considered as an important factor affecting the crop production and subsequently the human health. Rice (Oryza sativa) is sensitive to Zn deficiency and thereby causes malnutrition to most of the rice-eating Asian populations. Application of zinc solubilizing bacteria (ZSB) could be a sustainable agronomic approach to increase the soil available...

Autoregulatory negative-feedback loops play important roles in fine-balancing tissue and organ development. Such loops are composed of short-range intercellular signaling pathways via cell-cell communications. On the other hand, leguminous plants use a long-distance negative-feedback system involving root-shoot communication to control the number of root nodules, root lateral organs that harbor...

Transcriptional repression by histone modification represents a universal mechanism that underlies critical biological processes, such as neurogenesis and hematopoietic differentiation, in animals. In plants, however, the extent to which these regulatory pathways are involved in development and morphogenesis is not well defined. SWP1/LDL1 is a component of a plant corepressor complex that is in...

Sandy fields have been reclaimed to exploit the grain production potential in northwestChina. A 2-year statistically replicated field study was conducted to determine the effects ofmulched drip irrigation on soil water, soil nitrate, shoot root growth and yields of maize on asandy field in the Hetao irrigation district. Treatments included border irrigation (BI), fullymulched drip irrigation (F...

This study aimed to test the hypothesis that root morphology might be improved and consequently contributing to superior post-heading shoot growth and grain yield in late-stage vigor super rice. A pot experiment was carried out to compare yield attributes, shoot growth and physiological properties and root morphological traits between a late-stage vigor super rice cultivar (Y-liangyou 087) and ...

Nutrient acquisition in the mature root zone is under systemic control by the shoot and the root tip. In maize, exposure of the shoot to light induces short-term (within 1-2 min) effects on net K+ and H+ transport at the root surface. H+ efflux decreased (from -18 to -12 nmol m(-2) s(-1)) and K+ uptake (approximately 2 nmol m(-2) s(-1)) reverted to efflux (approximately -3 nmol m(-2) s(-1)). Xy...

The ramosus (rms) mutation (rms1) of pea (Pisum sativum) causes increased branching through modification of graft-transmissible signal(s) produced in rootstock and shoot. Additional grafting techniques have led us to propose that the novel signal regulated by Rms1 moves acropetally in shoots and acts as a branching inhibitor. Epicotyl interstock grafts showed that wild-type (WT) epicotyls graft...