Plant architectures can be characterized statistically by their spatial density function, which specifies the probability of finding a branch at each location in the territory occupied by a plant. Using high-precision 3D scanning, we analyzed 557 plant shoot architectures, representing three species, grown across three to five environmental conditions, and through 20-30 developmental time point...

The possibility of utilizing plants for soil decon­ tamination of heavy metals received more and more interest in recent years. Plants useful for phytoremediation should be characterized by a high biomass production and by accumulation of high amounts of metals in easily harvested shoots (Blaylock et al., 1997). These conditions are ful­ filled by some cultivars of Indian mustard (Bras­ sica ju...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is a herbaceous, dioecious perennial that is widely distributed around the world, reproduces both sexually and asexually, and is characterized by rapid growth. This work was aimed at evaluating the effects of plant maturity, shoot reproduction and sex on the growth of leaves and shoots. METHODS Growth rates of apical shoots, together with fo...

Plant genetic transformation requires appropriate choice of antibiotics for regeneration of transformed tissues and elimination of Agrobacterium, and minimal concentration of selective agents for the selection of putative transformants during transformation. This study was conducted to examine the effects of three antibiotics (carbenicillin, cefotaxime, and Clavamox) on in vitro plant regenerat...

Plants colonized the terrestrial environment over 450 million years ago. Since then, shoot architecture has evolved in response to changing environmental conditions. Our current understanding of the innovations that altered shoot morphology is underpinned by developmental studies in a number of plant groups. However, the least is known about mechanisms that operate in ferns--a key group for und...

The plant growth, phosphate acquisition, Cd translocation, phytochelatins (PCs) production and antioxidant parameters [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione (GSH), ascorbate (ASA) and malonaldehyde (MDA)] were investigated in Cd-hyperaccumulator Solanum photeinocarpum inoculated with Glomus vers...

In higher plants, leaves initiate in constant spatial and temporal patterns. Although the pattern of leaf initiation is a key element of plant shoot architecture, little is known about how the time interval between initiation events, termed plastochron, is regulated. Here, we present a detailed analysis of plastochron2 (pla2), a rice (Oryza sativa) mutant that exhibits shortened plastochron and...

Stem cells are responsible for organogenesis, but it is largely unknown whether and how information from stem cells acts to direct organ patterning after organ primordia are formed. It has long been proposed that the stem cells at the plant shoot apex produce a signal, which promotes leaf adaxial-abaxial (dorsoventral) patterning. Here we show the existence of a transient low auxin zone in the ...