Root Hair Length Research Articles

Plant mechanisms to optimise access to soil phosphorus

Phosphorus (P) is an important nutrient required for plant growth and its management in soil is critical to ensure sustainable and profitable agriculture that has minimal impact on the environment. Although soils may contain a large amount of total P, only a small proportion is immediately available to plants. Australian soils often have low availability of P for plant growth and P-based fertilisers are, therefore, commonly used to correct P deficiency and to maintain productivity. For many soils, the sustained use of P fertiliser has resulted in an accumulation of total P, a proportion of which is in forms that are poorly available to most plants. The efficiency with which different P fertilisers are used in agricultural systems depends on their capacity to supply P in a soluble form that is available for plant uptake (i.e. as orthophosphate anions). In addition to fertiliser source, the availability of P in soil is influenced to a large extent by physico-chemical and biological properties of the soil. Plant access to soil P is further affected by root characteristics (e.g. rate of growth, specific root length, and density and length of root hairs) and biochemical processes that occur at the soil–root interface. The ability of roots to effectively explore soil, the release of exudates (e.g. organic anions and phosphatases) from roots that influence soil P availability, and the association of roots with soil microorganisms such as mycorrhizal fungi are particularly important. These processes occur as a natural response of plants to P deficiency and, through better understanding, may provide opportunities for improving plant access to soil and fertiliser P in conventional and organic agricultural systems.

Ethylene modifies architecture of root system in response to stomatal opening and water allocation changes between root and shoot

Ethylene plays a key role in the elongation of exploratory and root hair systems in plants, as demonstrated by pharmacological modulation of the activity of ethylene biosynthesis enzymes: ACC synthase (ACS) and ACC oxidase (ACO). Thus, treatments with high concentrations (10 μM) of aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG, inhibitor of ACS) and 1-aminocyclopropane carboxylic acid (ACC, ethylene precursor, ACO activator) severely decrease the elongation of the exploratory root system but induce opposite effects on the root hair system: root hair length and numbers were increased in seedlings treated with ACC, whereas they were reduced in seedlings treated with AVG. Until now, such elongation changes of root architecture had not been questioned in terms of nitrate uptake. In the march issue of Plant Physiology we report that N uptake and nitrate transporter BnNrt2.1 transcript level were markedly reduced in ACC treated seedlings, but were increased in AVG treated seedlings compared to the control.1 Because recent studies have revealed that ethylene can also modulate stomatal opening as well as root hair cell elongation, we have examined whether pharmacological modulation of ethylene biosynthesis could affect, in an integrated manner, and at a whole-plant level, the exploratory and root hair systems, through changes of stomatal conductance and water allocation between the root and shoot.

Auxin transport through non-hair cells sustains root-hair development

The plant hormone auxin controls root epidermal cell development in a concentration-dependent manner 1-3. Root hairs are produced on a subset of epidermal cells as they increase in distance from the root tip. Auxin is required for their initiation 4-7 and continued growth 8-11, but little is known about its distribution in this region of the root. Counter to the expectation that hair cells might require active auxin influx to ensure auxin supply, we did not detect the auxin-influx transporter AUX1 in root-hair cells. A high level of AUX1 expression was detected in adjacent non-hair cell files. Non-hair cells were necessary to achieve wild-type root-hair length, although an auxin response was not required in these cells. 3D modelling of auxin flow in the root tip suggests that AUX1-dependent transport through non-hair cells maintains an auxin supply to developing hair cells as they increase in distance from the root tip and sustains root-hair outgrowth. Experimental data support the hypothesis that, instead of moving uniformly though the epidermal cell layer 3,12, auxin is mainly transported through canals that extend longitudinally into the tissue.

Phosphate-Deprived Roots Are Hypersensitive to Auxin

Low concentrations of phosphate (Pi) in soil trigger alterations to the architecture of the root system that increase a plant's capacity to absorb Pi. Many plants stimulate the uptake of this essential nutrient by promoting lateral root (LR) formation, increasing root hair length and density (see [

Root architecture of six tropical seagrass species, growing in three contrasting habitats in Indonesian waters

Although several recent studies point at the importance of seagrass roots for nutrient acquisition in oligotrophic tropical ecosystems, remarkably little is known about the root architecture of tropical seagrasses. The present study provides a detailed description of the root architecture of six seagrass species that were extracted from three sites differing in sediment type and nutrient availability (i.e., except for one species that was not present at one of the sites). Number of roots per node, order of root branching, length and diameter per root order, root hair density and length were determined and used to calculate a topological index for the different species and habitats. Root architecture differed strongly between species. The relatively long-lived and slowly-growing species Thalassia hemprichii and Enhalus acoroides were characterised by short internodes with relatively few unbranched roots per node and a high root hair density. More fast growing species such as Cymodocea rotundata, Cymodocea serrulata and Syringodium isoetifolium had many roots per node, the majority of which were branched. Surprisingly, differences in sediment type and nutrient availability, as present between locations, had little effect on root architecture. We expect this to be due to a relatively homogeneous nutrient distribution at the small scale within water saturated sediments. Overall, all seagrass species had relatively simple branching (topological index > 0.7), comparable to angiosperms of the low temperate salt marsh. We speculate that relatively simple root architecture of plants in flooded systems reflects the need for a minimal path length for oxygen transport from shoots to roots.

Phytotoxic effects of leukamenin E (an ent-kaurene diterpenoid) on root growth and root hair development in Lactuca sativa L. seedlings.

Leukamenin E, an ent-kaurene diterpenoid isolated from Isodon racemosa (Hemsl) Hara, showed phytotoxic effects on root growth and root hair development of lettuce seedlings (Lactuca sativa L.). Lower concentrations (10 microM) of leukamenin E did not affect root growth, but at concentrations higher than 50 microM, the rate was inhibited. The influence of leukamenin E on root growth rate was closely correlated with alterations in the mitotic index. A low incidence of aberrant mitosis image was observed when lettuce roots were treated with higher concentrations (100 and 200 microM) of leukamenin E. This suggests that inhibition of root growth may be due to inhibition of cell division. All tested concentrations of the diterpenoid (10 microM or more) inhibited root hair development in a dose-dependent manner. At a concentration of 80 microM, leukamenin E completely blocked root hair initiation. Application of Ag(+)-an ethylene action inhibitor-to lettuce seedlings inhibited root hair elongation similar to the diterpenoid. Enhanced root hair length was stimulated by exogenous ethephon-an ethylene-releasing agent-and could be reversed by addition of leukamenin E. This suggests that leukamenin E may act as a potential ethylene action antagonist in the inhibition of lettuce root hair development. We conclude that leukamenin E may curb root hair development by interfering with ethylene action at concentrations above 10 microM and inhibits root growth via inhibition of cell division at concentrations above 50 microM.

Changes in arbuscular mycorrhizal associations and fine root traits in sites under different plant successional phases in southern Brazil

Fine root morphological traits and distribution, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, soil fertility, and nutrient concentration in fine root tissue were compared in sites under different successional phases: grass plants, secondary forest, and mature forest in Londrina county, Paraná state, southern Brazil. Soil cores were collected randomly at the 0-10- and 10-20-cm depths in three quadrants (50 m2) in each site. Plants from the different successional stages displayed high differences in fine root distribution, fine root traits, and mycorrhizal root colonization. There were increases in the concentration of nutrients both in soil and fine roots and decrease of bulk soil density along the succession. The fine root biomass and diameter increased with the succession progress. The total fine root length, specific root length, root hair length, and root hair incidence decreased with the succession advance. Similarly, the mycorrhizal root colonization and the density of AM fungi spores in the soil decreased along the succession. Mycorrhizal root colonization and spore density were positively correlated with fine root length, specific root length, root hair length, root hair incidence, and bulk density and negatively correlated with fine root diameter and concentration of some nutrients both in soil and root tissues. Nutrient concentration in root tissue and in soil was positively correlated with fine root diameter and negatively correlated with specific root length, root hair length, and root hair incidence. These results suggest different adaptation strategies of plant roots for soil exploration and mineral acquisition among the different successional stages. Early successional stages displayed plants with fine root morphology and AM fungi colonization to improve the root functional efficiencies for uptake of nutrients and faster soil resource exploration. Late successional stages displayed plants with fine root morphology and mycorrhizal symbiosis for both a lower rate of soil proliferation and soil exploration capacity to acquire nutrients.

Retraction for Holweg and Nick, Arabidopsis myosin XI mutant is defective in organelle movement and polar auxin transport

PLANT BIOLOGY. For the article “Arabidopsis myosin XI mutant is defective in organelle movement and polar auxin transport,” by Carola Holweg and Peter Nick, which appeared in issue 28, July 13, 2004, of Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (101:10488–10493; first published July 6, 2004; 10.1073/pnas.0403155101), the authors wish to note the following: “We must retract the results published in the article. In further investigations of the mya2-1 knockout (SAIL_414_C04), we detected a second deletion upstream and adjacent to the MYA2 locus, and a complementation assay performed with the whole genomic sequence of MYA2, including the promoter (10.5 kb), revealed no significant differences between the dwarf phenotype of the original mutant line and the mya2-rescued line. The analysis included parameters such as shoot length, cytoplasmic streaming, hypocotyl length, epidermal cell length, and root hair length. Therefore, the phenotype of the original knockout line was probably due to the second deletion upstream of the MYA2 gene. Since our original publication, and consistent with our new results, others have observed no major defects resulting from inactivation of any of the 13 myosin XI genes in the Arabidopsis thaliana genome (1–3); inactivation of the MYA2 and XI-K genes resulted only in defects in root hair growth and organelle trafficking (2, 3).”

Effects of rhizobacterial ACC deaminase activity on Arabidopsis indicate that ethylene mediates local root responses to plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria

1-Amino cyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase (AcdS) is an enzyme that degrades the precursor of plant hormone ethylene. AcdS activity has been identified in many soil bacteria. It has been proposed to play an important role in plant-growth promotion by rhizobacteria. It would lower ethylene level via uncharacterized signaling pathways in the host plant. To further investigate the role of AcdS and the involvement of ethylene signaling pathway in plant development responses to rhizobacteria, we used the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. We compared the changes in root architecture and root hair length induced by four rhizobacteria ( Phyllobacterium brassicacearum STM196, Pseudomonas putida UW4, Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae 128C53K, Mesorhizobium loti MAFF303099) and by their respective acdS-deficient mutants. All the mutant strains induced similar changes in lateral root development as their WT counterparts. By contrast, root hairs of seedlings inoculated with the acdS mutant strains were significantly longer than those of the plants inoculated with the WT strains. Overall, our results would suggest that rhizobacterial AcdS activity affects local regulatory mechanisms in plant roots, and not lateral root development that is under systemic regulation involving shoot–root dialog.

Elongation Changes of Exploratory and Root Hair Systems Induced by Aminocyclopropane Carboxylic Acid and Aminoethoxyvinylglycine Affect Nitrate Uptake andBnNrt2.1andBnNrt1.1Transporter Gene Expression in Oilseed Rape

Ethylene is a plant hormone that plays a major role in the elongation of both exploratory and root hair systems. Here, we demonstrate in Brassica napus seedlings that treatments with the ethylene precursor, aminocyclopropane carboxylic acid (ACC) and the ethylene biosynthesis inhibitor, aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG), cause modification of the dynamic processes of primary root and root hair elongation in a dose-dependent way. Moreover, restoration of root elongation in AVG-treated seedlings by 1 mm l-glutamate suggested that high concentrations of AVG affect root elongation through nonoverlapping ethylene metabolic pathway involving pyridoxal 5'-P-dependent enzymes of nitrate (N) metabolism. In this respect, treatments with high concentrations of ACC and AVG (10 mum) over 5 d revealed significant differences in relationships between root growth architecture and N uptake capacities. Indeed, if these treatments decreased severely the elongation of the exploratory root system (primary root and lateral roots) they had opposing effects on the root hair system. Although ACC increased the length and number of root hairs, the rate of N uptake and the transcript level of the N transporter BnNrt2.1 were markedly reduced. In contrast, the decrease in root hair length and number in AVG-treated seedlings was overcompensated by an increase of N uptake and BnNrt2.1 gene expression. These root architectural changes demonstrated that BnNrt2.1 expression levels were more correlated to the changes of the exploratory root system than the changes of the root hair system. The difference between treatments in N transporters BnNrt1.1 and BnNrt2.1 gene expression is discussed with regard to presumed transport functions of BnNrt1.1 in relation to root elongation.

Analysis of Water Supply of Plants Under Saline Soil Conditions and Conclusions for Research on Crop Salt Tolerance

Abstract In the dry areas of the world there is an increasing pressure to apply low quality brackish waters for plant irrigation (agriculture, horticulture, landscape greening). Consequently there is a demand to improve salt tolerance of conventional crops and to develop adequate irrigation techniques too. The efforts in the past decades to approach the understanding of salt stress mechanism by focusing on biochemical and physiological research were disappointing with respect to progress for crop growth and yields under saline soil conditions. However, it is generally agreed by all disciplines involved in research for crop salt tolerance that under saline soils conditions the reduced water supply of crops is the most critical growth factor. The paper presents some model calculations and field investigations that demonstrate the effect of root water uptake on the salinity of the root surrounding soil fraction (rhizospheric soil). It is shown that root hair length and rhizospheric soil volumes are factors most relevant for understanding crop salt tolerance, when growing in soils. It is postulated that short root hairs contribute to a lower salt tolerance (onions), whereas long root hairs enhance water uptake from saline soils and crop salt tolerance (rape). As interactions between roots and soil contribute to the salt tolerance of crops under field conditions, it is doubtful that selection for salt tolerant varieties and breeding for salt tolerance under conditions of water and flow culture experiments is very efficient. Breeding for more salt‐tolerant crops and brackish irrigation techniques should consider root morphology and soil/root contact zone.

Interactions between diazotrophic bacteria and mycorrhizal fungus in maize genotypes

Some diazotrophic bacteria can fix nitrogen biologically in gramineous host plants. Generally, gramineous plants are also associated with mycorrhizal fungi, that can improve mainly plant P uptake. Among the factors affecting plant-microbe interactions, the plant genotype plays an important role. This study evaluates the effect of diazotrophic bacteria and an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF), on five genotypes of maize (Zea mays L.), in relation to plant biomass, shoot N and P concentrations, and fine root morphological traits. The experimental design was entirely randomized in a factorial 5 × 4 × 2 arrangement, i.e., five maize genotypes (hybrids C333B, AS3466, and PREMIUM, and the inbreed lines lg40897-1 and lg40505-1), three diazotrophic bacteria (Azospirillum lipoferum, A. amazonense, and Burkholderia sp.) in addition to a control without bacterial inoculation, co-inoculated or not with the AMF Glomus clarum. The non-mycorrhizal plants inoculated with Azospirillum exhibited the highest N concentrations. The lines lg40897-1 and lg40505-1 showed higher P concentrations as compared to the hybrids, mainly when colonized by AMF. The higher levels of mycorrhizal colonization (90%) occurred in the C333B and lg40897-1 genotypes, which also exhibited a greater root diameter. Mycorrhiza increased shoot and root biomass, besides root traits as total length, specific length, total surface, and incidence of root hairs in all genotypes. In addition, mycorrhiza also stimulated the root colonization by diazotrophic bacteria. The bacteria did not affect root morphological traits and mycorrhizal colonization.

P-Glycoprotein4 Displays Auxin Efflux Transporter–Like Action in Arabidopsis Root Hair Cells and Tobacco Cells

ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters transport diverse substrates across membranes in various organisms. However, plant ABC transporters have only been scantily characterized. By taking advantage of the auxin-sensitive Arabidopsis thaliana root hair cell and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) suspension cell systems, we show here that Arabidopsis P-glycoprotein4 (PGP4) displays auxin efflux activity in plant cells. Root hair cell-specific overexpression of PGP4 (PGP4ox) and known auxin efflux transporters, such as PGP1, PGP19, and PIN-FORMEDs, decreased root hair elongation, whereas overexpression of the influx transporter AUXIN-RESISTANT1 enhanced root hair length. PGP4ox-mediated root hair shortening was rescued by the application of auxin or an auxin efflux inhibitor. These results indicate that the increased auxin efflux activity conferred by PGP4 reduces auxin levels in the root hair cell and consequently inhibits root hair elongation. PGP4ox in tobacco suspension cells also increased auxin efflux. PGP4 proteins were targeted to the plasma membrane of Arabidopsis root hair cells and tobacco cells without any clear subcellular polarity. Brefeldin A partially interfered with the trafficking of PGP4 reversibly, and this was rescued by pretreatment with auxin. These results suggest that PGP4 is an auxin efflux transporter in plants and that its trafficking to the plasma membrane involves both BFA-sensitive and -insensitive pathways.

Salt-induced plasticity of root hair development is caused by ion disequilibrium in Arabidopsis thaliana

Root hair development is controlled by environmental signals. Studies on root hair plasticity in Arabidopsis thaliana have mainly focused on phosphate and iron deficiency. Root hair growth and development and their physiological role in response to salt stress are largely unknown. Here, we show that root epidermal cell types and root hair development are highly regulated by salt stress. Root hair length and density decreased significantly in a dose-dependent manner on both primary roots and junction sites between roots and shoots. The root hair growth and development were sensitive to inhibition by ions but not to osmotic stress. High salinity also alters anatomical structure of roots, leading to a decrease in cell number in N positions and enlargement of the cells. Moreover, analysis of the salt overly sensitive mutants indicated that salt-induced root hair response is caused by ion disequilibrium and appears to be an adaptive mechanism that reduces excessive ion uptake. Finally, we show that genes WER, GL3, EGL3, CPC, and GL2 might be involved in cell specification of root epidermis in stressed plants. Taken together, data suggests that salt-induced root hair plasticity represents a coordinated strategy for early stress avoidance and tolerance as well as a morphological sign of stress adaptation.

Phosphate Starvation Root Architecture and Anthocyanin Accumulation Responses Are Modulated by the Gibberellin-DELLA Signaling Pathway in Arabidopsis

Phosphate (Pi) is a macronutrient that is essential for plant growth and development. However, the low mobility of Pi impedes uptake, thus reducing availability. Accordingly, plants have developed physiological strategies to cope with low Pi availability. Here, we report that the characteristic Arabidopsis thaliana Pi starvation responses are in part dependent on the activity of the nuclear growth-repressing DELLA proteins (DELLAs), core components of the gibberellin (GA)-signaling pathway. We first show that multiple shoot and root Pi starvation responses can be repressed by exogenous GA or by mutations conferring a substantial reduction in DELLA function. In contrast, mutants having enhanced DELLA function exhibit enhanced Pi starvation responses. We also show that Pi deficiency promotes the accumulation of a green fluorescent protein-tagged DELLA (GFP-RGA [repressor of ga1-3]) in root cell nuclei. In further experiments, we show that Pi starvation causes a decrease in the level of bioactive GA and associated changes in the levels of gene transcripts encoding enzymes of GA metabolism. Finally, we show that the GA-DELLA system regulates the increased root hair length that is characteristic of Pi starvation. In conclusion, our results indicate that DELLA-mediated signaling contributes to the anthocyanin accumulation and root architecture changes characteristic of Pi starvation responses, but do not regulate Pi starvation-induced changes in Pi uptake efficiency or the accumulation of selected Pi starvation-responsive gene transcripts. Pi starvation causes a reduction in bioactive GA level, which, in turn, causes DELLA accumulation, thus modulating several adaptively significant plant Pi starvation responses.

Water-extractable humic substances alter root development and epidermal cell pattern in Arabidopsis

The effect of a low-molecular weight, water-extractable fraction of humic substances (WEHS) derived from sphagnum peat on post-embryonic plant development has been studied using Arabidopsis roots. Application of humic substances caused an array of changes in root morphology, such as an increase in root hair length and density, formation of ectopic root hairs, and an increase in cell proliferation in the root ground tissue. Application of WEHS affected genes involved in epidermal cell fate specification, suggesting that humic substances can alter developmental programs at an early stage of root cell differentiation. The WEREWOLF and GLABRA2 genes, encoding negative regulators of the root hair cell fate, were significantly down-regulated in the presence of WEHS. Thus, the presence of humic substances caused an ordered remodeling of the root morphology, leading to an increased absorptive surface of the root. Growth in the presence of WEHS did not rescue the phenotype of the root hair defective rhd6 mutant. Analyzing BA3:uidA and DR5:uidA transgenic plants, carrying auxin response elements, and monitoring the expression of the auxin-responsive GH3 gene by real-time RT-PCR did not provide evidence for a WEHS-induced expression of auxin-related genes. It is concluded that WEHS do not exert their effects in an auxin-like manner.

Variation in Root Morphological and Physiological Traits and Nutrient Uptake of Chickpea Genotypes

ABSTRACT Plant nutrients such as potassium (K), phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) mostly remain fixed in soils and their bio-availability to plant roots is diffusion-limited. Hence, superior root traits, that can enhance their dissolution and capture from the soils, can play a central role in its productivity. Root morphological (root length and root hairs) and physiological traits (root exudation of protons and phosphatase enzymes) of ten selected varieties/breeding lines of chickpea (Bari-chhola-3, Bari-chhola-4, Bari-chhola-5, Bari-chhola-6, Bari-chhola-7, Bari-chhola-8, BGM-E7, ICCV-98926, ICCV-94924, and ICCV-98916) were studied and related them to the uptake of the nutrients in a pot experiment. There were significant (P < 0.05) genotypic differences in root length (RL) and root hair length (RHL). The RL ranged between 70 m plant− 1 and 140 m plant− 1. The variation in RHL was significant (P < 0.05) and it ranged between 0.58 ± 0.09 mm (Bari-chhola-5) and 0.26 ± 0.09 mm. The root hair density (RHD, number mm− 1root) varied between 13 ± 2 and 21 ± 3 among the genotypes. The presence of root hairs increased the effective root surface area (e.g., Bari-chhola-5) up to twelve times. The genotypes differed in their ability to acidify the rooting media in laboratory agar studies, with Bari-chhola-5 inducing most acidification followed by Bari-chhola-3. The ability of Bari-chhola-5 to acidify the rhizosphere was also confirmed by embedding in situ roots in the field in an agar-agar solution containing pH indicator dye Bromocresol purple. The genotypes did not differ for induction of acid phosphatase activity (Aptase) in the rooting media. The genotypes inducing greater acidification and possessing prolific root hairs (Bari-chhola-3 and Bari-chhola-5) absorbed significantly higher amounts of the nutrients K, P, Fe, Mn, and Zn, whose availability in soils is usually low. The results suggest that a collective effect of superior morphological and physiological root traits confers better nutrition of chickpea genotypes in low-nutrient soils.

Arabidopsis thaliana myosin XIK is involved in root hair as well as trichome morphogenesis on stems and leaves

Myosins form a large superfamily of molecular motors that move along actin filaments. The functions of myosins in plant cells are thought to be related to various processes: cell division, movement of mitochondria and chloroplasts, cytoplasmic streaming, rearrangement of transvacuolar strands, and statolith positioning. Class VIII and XI myosins are represented in the Arabidopsis thaliana genome by 4 and 13 potential genes, respectively. The roles of individual class XI myosins and their cellular targets in A. thaliana are still unclear. In this work we implemented a reverse genetic approach to analyse the loss-of-function mutants of XIK, a representative of class XI myosins in A. thaliana. Three different T-DNA insertion mutants in the myosin XIK gene showed similar phenotypes: impaired growth of root hair cells, twisted shape of stem trichomes, and irregular size, branch positioning, and branch expansion of leaf trichomes. Morphometric analysis of mutant seedlings showed that the average length of root hairs was reduced up to 50% in comparison with wild-type root hairs, suggesting an involvement of the class XI myosin XIK in tip growth. On leaves, the proportion of trichomes with short branches was doubleed in mutant plants, and the mutant trichomes possessed a mildly twisted shape. Therefore, we concluded that myosin XIK is involved also in the elongation of stalks and branches of trichomes.

Bacillus megaterium Rhizobacteria Promote Growth and Alter Root-System Architecture Through an Auxin- and Ethylene-Independent Signaling Mechanism in Arabidopsis thaliana

Soil microorganisms are critical players in plant-soil interactions at the rhizosphere. We have identified a Bacillus megaterium strain that promoted growth and development of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and Arabidopsis thaliana plants. We used Arabidopsis thaliana as a model to characterize the effects of inoculation with B. megaterium on plant-growth promotion and postembryonic root development. B. megaterium inoculation caused an inhibition in primary-root growth followed by an increase in lateral-root number, lateral-root growth, and root-hair length. Detailed cellular analyses revealed that primary root-growth inhibition was caused both by a reduction in cell elongation and by reduction of cell proliferation in the root meristem. To study the contribution of auxin and ethylene signaling pathways in the alterations in root-system architecture elicited by B. megaterium, a suite of plant hormone mutants of Arabidopsis, including aux1-7, axr4-1, eir1, etr1, ein2, and rhd6, defective in either auxin or ethylene signaling, were evaluated for their responses to inoculation with this bacteria. When inoculated, all mutant lines tested showed increased biomass production. Moreover, aux1-7 and eir1, which sustain limited root-hair and lateral-root formation when grown in uninoculated medium, were found to increase the number of lateral roots and to develop long root hairs when inoculated with B. megaterium. The ethylene-signaling mutants etr1 and ein2 showed an induction in lateral-root formation and root-hair growth in response to bacterial inoculation. Taken together, our results suggest that plant-growth promotion and root-architectural alterations by B. megaterium may involve auxin- and-ethylene independent mechanisms.

Distribution of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide in Arabidopsis root and their influence on root development: possible interaction with peroxidases

The respective distribution of superoxide (O(2) (.-)) and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), two reactive oxygen species (ROS) involved in root growth and differentiation, was determined within the Arabidopsis root tip. We investigated the effect of changing the levels of these ROS on root development and the possible interactions with peroxidases. H(2)O(2) was detected by confocal laser-scanning microscopy using hydroxyphenyl fluorescein (HPF). Both O(2) (.-) accumulation and peroxidase distribution were assessed by light microscopy, using nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) and o-dianisidine, respectively. Root length and root hair length and density were also quantified following ROS scavenging. O(2) (.-) was predominantly located in the apoplast of cell elongation zone, whereas H(2)O(2) accumulated in the differentiation zone and the cell wall of root hairs in formation. Treatments that decrease O(2) (.-) concentration reduced root elongation and root hair formation, while scavenging H(2)O(2) promoted root elongation and suppressed root hair formation. The results allow to precise the respective role of O(2) (.-) and H(2)O(2) in root growth and development. The consequences of their distinct accumulation sites within the root tip are discussed, especially in relation to peroxidases.