Understanding calcium functionality by examining growth characteristics and structural aspects in calcium-deficient grapevine

Shuyan Duan,Lei Wang,Chao Ma,Wenping Xu,Shiren Song,Bhaskar Bondada,Shiping Wang,Chengjun Zhang,Caixi Zhang

doi:10.1038/s41598-022-06867-4

Abstract

This study characterized growth characteristics and cellular details employing microscopy techniques in hydroponically-grown Ca2+-sufficient and Ca2+-deficient grapevines (Vitis vinifera) in a glasshouse. The Ca2+-deficient vines exhibited significant reductions in shoot length, shoot and trunk fresh weights, leaf area, chlorophyll, which eventually led to drooping, yellowing, and chlorosis of leaves. Roots were less dense and primarily dark and necrotic. Furthermore, their xylem vessels were small, polygonal, and appeared to be collapsed yet increased in number and developed lateral roots. Despite such alterations, the anatomical organization of leaves was not affected, yet they developed with more xylem vessels with thick walls and lignin in their mesophyll and vascular tissues. The chloroplasts in internodes’ chlorenchyma, phloem, and cambium underwent significant ultrastructural modifications. The concentrations of macro and micronutrients varied significantly among the roots, trunk, canes, and leaves, including the growth characteristics. These structural and growth modifications of calcium deficiency enable us to understand better the link between the symptoms and functions and for a holistic understanding of Ca2+ functionalities.

Highlights

This study characterized growth characteristics and cellular details employing microscopy techniques in hydroponically-grown Ca2+-sufficient and Ca2+-deficient grapevines (Vitis vinifera) in a glasshouse
Its levels vary with stages of growth, among and within plant s pecies[5], between monocots and d icots[13], and among genotypes of the same s pecies[8]. Such wide variations result in uneven distribution among and within the plant p arts[7,14], and heterogeneous storage across cell types[15], causing C a2+ deficiency symptoms to differ from organ to organ, species to species, and among different genotypes of the same species[16]
This study aims to comprehend the C a2+ deficiency symptomatology related to growth, nutrient distribution, and morpho-anatomical and ultrastructural alterations of root and shoot systems

Summary

Introduction

This study characterized growth characteristics and cellular details employing microscopy techniques in hydroponically-grown Ca2+-sufficient and Ca2+-deficient grapevines (Vitis vinifera) in a glasshouse. The concentrations of macro and micronutrients varied significantly among the roots, trunk, canes, and leaves, including the growth characteristics These structural and growth modifications of calcium deficiency enable us to understand better the link between the symptoms and functions and for a holistic understanding of Ca2+ functionalities. To gain a realistic understanding of how C a2+ influences the growth and structure of plants, including their productivity[2,7], we need to reveal how Ca2+ transport and function are integrated from the whole plant to the subcellular level in different s pecies[8] Progress in this endeavor requires in-depth characterization and fundamental understanding of the symptomatology of organs in different plants at the whole plant and cellular levels by conducting starvation studies under controlled conditions[1,9,10]. We chose grapevine because of its global socio-economic impact[25], grown under C a2+-deficient soil c onditions[13]

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Results

Discussion

Conclusion