Abstract
BackgroundWhen a plant is wounded, a rapid hydraulic surge, acting probably as a systemic signal, spreads from the site of injury throughout the plant and leads to small transient deformation of tissues. So far, the propagation of hydraulic surge has been monitored by contact and thus potentially invasive methods.ResultsHere we present a non-invasive optical method, which allows simultaneous monitoring of micrometric shift of two opposite stem margins. The usefulness of this method was demonstrated by the measurement of the hydraulic surge propagation in a tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum (L.) cv. Samsun) after burning of its upper leaf. We have observed transient narrowing the stem below the burned leaf, which started within a few minutes after local burning. The comparison of the shift of the stem margin following vascular trace of the burned leaf and the margin on the opposite side of the stem has revealed that the stem deformation is highly asymmetric.ConclusionsThis optical method represents a novel tool to investigate the mechanism of systemic response of plants to local damage. Our results points out the complexity of the relationship between hydraulic surge propagation and stem deformation.
Highlights
When a plant is wounded, a rapid hydraulic surge, acting probably as a systemic signal, spreads from the site of injury throughout the plant and leads to small transient deformation of tissues
In this work we describe an optical method for the monitoring of hydraulic surge propagation in the stem
The measured tobacco plant was fixed to a pillar post and placed on a movable table driven by a linear actuator, which was connected to a PC. e Measured diffraction patterns from stem and steel rod margins y x a point light source lens z1 z z2
Summary
When a plant is wounded, a rapid hydraulic surge, acting probably as a systemic signal, spreads from the site of injury throughout the plant and leads to small transient deformation of tissues. The propagation of hydraulic surge has been monitored by contact and potentially invasive methods During their lifetime, plants in nature are often exposed to damaging factors leading to their wounding. To be able to survive, they have to respond promptly to the stress factors at the wounded site (local reaction), and in distant unwounded tissues (systemic reaction) This systemic reaction is dependent on a moving signal, which informs remote unwounded tissue about the external disturbance. One of the fastest stress signals in plants could be a hydraulic surge It spreads from the wounded plant area to distant unwounded tissues, where it could evoke plant defense responses [e.g. 1–6]. The hydraulic surge propagation in a plant can be monitored via the measurement of plant tissue deformation
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