Vascular Tissue Development Research Articles

Post-translational control of nitrate reductase activity responding to light and photosynthesis evolved already in the early vascular plants

Regulation of nitrate reductase (NR) by reversible phosphorylation at a conserved motif is well established in higher plants, and enables regulation of NR in response to rapid fluctuations in light intensity. This regulation is not conserved in algae NR, and we wished to test the evolutionary origin of the regulatory mechanism by physiological examination of ancient land plants. Especially a member of the lycophytes is of interest since their NR is candidate for regulation by reversible phosphorylation based on sequence analysis. We compared Selaginella kraussiana, a member of the lycophytes and earliest vascular plants, with the angiosperm Arabidopsis thaliana, and also tested the moss Physcomitrella patens. Interestingly, optimization of assay conditions revealed that S. kraussiana NR used NADH as an electron donor like A. thaliana, whereas P. patens NR activity depended on NADPH. Examination of light/darkness effects showed that S. kraussiana NR was rapidly regulated similar to A. thaliana NR when a differential (Mg2+ contra EDTA) assay was used to reveal activity state of NR. This implies that already existing NR enzyme was post-translationally activated by light in both species. Light had a positive effect also on de novo synthesis of NR in S. kraussiana, which could be shown after the plants had been exposed to a prolonged dark period (7 days). Daily variations in NR activity were mainly caused by post-translational modifications. As for angiosperms, the post-translational light activation of NR in S. kraussiana was inhibited by 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1*1-dimethylurea (DCMU), an inhibitor of photosynthesis and stomata opening. Evolutionary, a post-translational control mechanism for NR have occurred before or in parallel with development of vascular tissue in land plants, and appears to be part of a complex mechanisms for coordination of CO2 and nitrogen metabolism in these plants.

Auxin-associated initiation of vascular cell differentiation by LONESOME HIGHWAY

Plant vascular tissues are essential for the existence of land plants. Many studies of transcriptional regulation and cell-cell communication have revealed the process underlying the development of vascular tissues from vascular initial cells. However, the initiation of vascular cell differentiation is still a mystery. Here, we report that LONESOME HIGHWAY (LHW), which encodes a bHLH transcription factor, is expressed in pericycle-vascular mother cells at the globular embryo stage and is required for proper asymmetric cell division to generate vascular initial cells. In addition, ectopic expression of LHW elicits an ectopic auxin response. Moreover, LHW is required for the correct expression patterns of components related to auxin flow, such as PIN-FORMED 1 (PIN1), MONOPTEROS (MP) and ATHB-8, and ATHB-8 partially rescues the vascular defects of lhw. These results suggest that LHW functions as a key regulator to initiate vascular cell differentiation in association with auxin regulation.

Research Advance in Molecule Regulation Mechanism of Leaf Morphogenesis in Rice ( Oryza sativa L.)

Rice leaf morphosis is one of important components in the design of ideal plant architecture, and is the main focus in high-yield breeding of rice. The paper expounds the advance in the molecular genetics research of rice leaf morphosis (including leaf rolling, leaf angle, leaf drooping, and leaf width) by analyzing the leaf shape regulating genes that have been cloned. Comprehensive analysis reveals that the leaf rolling is controlled by related genes that regulate the development of leaf along the adaxial-abaxial axis, the development of bulliform cells, osmotic pressure or turgidity in bulliform cells, the formation of sclerenchymatous cells and the development of cuticle. Leaf inclination, which affects the plant space extension posture, is regulated by the development of phyllula which is controlled by genes conferring the biosynthesis or signaling of phytohormone brassinosteroids (BRs). The only cloned drooping leaf gene controls the leaf shape by influencing midrib formation. Narrow leaf genes regulate the leaf width through controlling the synthesis of auxin and its polar transport, and the development and distribution of vascular tissues. However, the study on the relationship between regulation roles of these cloned leaf shape genes. is not profound enough to draw an outline of molecular regulation network for rice leaf development and morphosis completely and clearly. Therefore, on the basis of current research findings, it is of great significance to further explore the rice leaf molecular regulation mechanism for establishing related regulation network and shaping ideal rice plant architecture.

Erratum to: Development of Vascular Tissue and Stress Inducible Hybrid–Synthetic Promoters Through Dof-1 Motifs Rearrangement

Erratum to: Development of Vascular Tissue and Stress Inducible Hybrid–Synthetic Promoters Through Dof-1 Motifs Rearrangement

Development and growth of primordial shoots in Norway spruce buds before visible bud burst in relation to time and temperature in the field

The timing of bud development in ecodormancy is critical for trees in boreal and temperate regions with seasonally alternating climates. The development of vegetative buds and the growth of primordial shoots (the primordial shoot ratio) in Norway spruce were followed by the naked eye and at stereo and light microscopic levels in fresh-cut and fixed buds obtained by regular field samplings during the spring of 2007, 2008 and 2009. Buds were collected from 15 randomly selected trees (all 16 years old in 2007) of one southern Finnish half-sib family. The air temperature was recorded hourly throughout the observation period. In 2008 and 2009, initial events in the buds, seen as accumulation of lipid droplets in the cortex area, started in mid-March and were depleted in late April, simultaneously with the early development of vascular tissue and primordial needles. In mid-April 2007, however, the development of the buds was at least 10 days ahead as a result of warm spells in March and early April. Variation in the timing of different developmental phases within and among the sample trees was negligible. There was no clear one-to-one correspondence between the externally visible and the internal development of the buds. The dependence of the primordial shoot ratio on different types of temperature sum was studied by means of regression analysis. High coefficients of determination (R(2) ≈ 95%) were attained with several combinations of the starting time (beginning of the year/vernal equinox), the threshold value (from -3 to +5 °C), and the time step (hour/day) used in the temperature summation, i.e., the prediction power of the primordial shoot ratio models turned out to be high, but the parameter estimate values were not unambiguous. According to our results, temperature sums describe the growth of the primordial shoot inside the bud before bud burst. Thus, the results provide a realistic interpretation for the present phenological models of bud development that are based on temperature sums and external observations of bud burst only, and they also provide new tools for improving the models.

Arthropod interactions with bennettitalean roots in a Triassic permineralized peat from Hopen, Svalbard Archipelago (Arctic)

Multiple thin-sections of a Late Triassic (Carnian) siliceous permineralized peat block likely derived from the De Geerdalen Formation on Hopen Island, Svalbard Archipelago, show a dense mass of roots preserving fine anatomical details of various stages of primary and secondary vascular tissue development. The presence of moderately defined rings with few latewood cells in the secondary xylem attests to growth in a seasonal environment. The presence of mucilage bodies and nests of sclerotic cells in the cortical tissues of the roots and pith of subaerial stem fragments, together with scalariform pitting on radial tracheid walls and 2–12 simple pits per cross-field favor bennettitalean affinities for the roots. Evidence of a rich fauna of detritivores inhabiting the peat profile is represented in the form of extensive damage to cortical tissues of dead roots and abundant coprolites preserved both within chambers excavated in the plant tissues and in the peat matrix. Less common gall-like structures within the roots indicate the presence of parasitic organisms in the palaeo-peat ecosystem.

Vascular development during distraction osteogenesis proceeds by sequential intramuscular arteriogenesis followed by intraosteal angiogenesis

Vascular formation is intimately associated with bone formation during distraction osteogenesis (DO). While prior studies on this association have focused on vascular formation locally within the regenerate, we hypothesized that this vascular formation, as well as the resulting osteogenesis, relies heavily on the response of the vascular network in surrounding muscular compartments. To test this hypothesis, the spatiotemporal sequence of vascular formation was assessed in both muscular and osseous compartments in a murine model of DO and was compared to the progression of osteogenesis. Micro-computed tomography (μCT) scans were performed sequentially, before and after demineralization, on specimens containing contrast-enhanced vascular casts. Image registration and subtraction procedures were developed to examine the co-related, spatiotemporal patterns of vascular and osseous tissue formation. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess the contributory roles of arteriogenesis (formation of large vessels) and angiogenesis (formation of small vessels) to overall vessel formation. Mean vessel thickness showed an increasing trend during the period of active distraction (p=0.068), whereas vessel volume showed maximal increases during the consolidation period (p=0.009). The volume of mineralized tissue in the regenerate increased over time (p<0.039), was correlated with vessel volume (r=0.59; p=0.025), and occurred primarily during consolidation. Immunohistological data suggested that: 1) the period of active distraction was characterized primarily by arteriogenesis in the surrounding muscle; 2) during consolidation, angiogenesis predominated in the intraosteal region; and 3) vessel formation proceeded from the surrounding muscle into the regenerate. These data show that formation of vascular tissue occurs in both muscular and osseous compartments during DO and that periods of intense osteogenesis are concurrent with those of angiogenesis. The results further suggest the presence of morphogenetic factors that coordinate the development of vascular tissues from the intramuscular compartment into the regions of osseous regeneration.

Silicon modifies root anatomy, and uptake and subcellular distribution of cadmium in young maize plants.

Silicon (Si) has been shown to ameliorate the negative influence of cadmium (Cd) on plant growth and development. However, the mechanism of this phenomenon is not fully understood. Here we describe the effect of Si on growth, and uptake and subcellular distribution of Cd in maize plants in relation to the development of root tissues. Young maize plants (Zea mays) were cultivated for 10 d hydroponically with 5 or 50 µm Cd and/or 5 mm Si. Growth parameters and the concentrations of Cd and Si were determined in root and shoot by atomic absorption spectrometry or inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. The development of apoplasmic barriers (Casparian bands and suberin lamellae) and vascular tissues in roots were analysed, and the influence of Si on apoplasmic and symplasmic distribution of (109)Cd applied at 34 nm was investigated between root and shoot. Si stimulated the growth of young maize plants exposed to Cd and influenced the development of Casparian bands and suberin lamellae as well as vascular tissues in root. Si did not affect the distribution of apoplasmic and symplasmic Cd in maize roots, but considerably decreased symplasmic and increased apoplasmic concentration of Cd in maize shoots. Differences in Cd uptake of roots and shoots are probably related to the development of apoplasmic barriers and maturation of vascular tissues in roots. Alleviation of Cd toxicity by Si might be attributed to enhanced binding of Cd to the apoplasmic fraction in maize shoots.

Vascular tissues are a primary source of BMP2 expression during bone formation induced by distraction osteogenesis

Prior studies showed that bone regeneration during distraction osteogenesis (DO) was dependent on vascular tissue development and that inhibition of VEGFR signaling diminished the expression of BMP2. A combination of micro-computed tomography (μCT) analysis of vascular and skeletal tissues, immunohistological and histological analysis of transgenic mice containing a BAC transgene in which β-galactosidase had been inserted into the coding region of BMP2 and qRT-PCR analysis, was used to examine how the spatial temporal expression of the morphogenetic signals that drive skeletal and vascular tissue development is coordinated during DO. These results showed that BMP2 expression was induced in smooth muscle and vascular endothelial cells of arteries and veins, capillary endothelial cells, hypertrophic chondrocytes and osteocytes. BMP2 was not expressed by lymphatic vessels or macrophages. Separate peaks of BMP2 mRNA expression were induced in the surrounding muscular tissues and the distraction gap and corresponded first with large vessel collateralization and arteriole remodeling followed by periods of angiogenesis in the gap region. Immunohistological and qRT-PCR analysis of VEGF receptors and ligands showed that mesenchymal cells, lining cells and chondrocytes, expressed VEGFA, although PlGF expression was only seen in mesenchymal cells within the gap region. On the other hand VEGFR2 appeared to be predominantly expressed by vascular endothelial and hematopoietic cells. These results suggest that bone and vascular tissue formation is coordinated via a mutually supporting set of paracrine loops in which blood vessels primarily synthesize the morphogens that promote bone formation while mesenchymal cells primarily synthesize the morphogens that promote vascular tissue formation.

The End: Senescence and Cell Death

Summary (With Yuan Zhong and Jared Taylor) - Plants, like animals, employ cell death as a normal and necessary part of life. Cell death occurs during developmental processes, including embryo and leaf development, vascular tissue development, and various reproductive processes. Pathogen infection can initiate the hypersensitive response, which can include a rapid cell death, and through which the plant wards off pathogens and / or removes pathogen-infected cells. In response to seasonal, age, stress or reproductive cues, senescence is initiated in leaves; leaf senescence involves macromolecular breakdown and nutrient export, and culminates in cell death. Senescence and death are active processes that require de novo gene expression. Recently, the genetic programs that activate and limit these processes have been identified. This lecture describes our current understanding of the processes that initiate, regulate and carry out senescence and death.

Effects of drought acclimation on the mechanical properties of Ochroma pyramidale, Betula pendula and Acacia karroo tree seedling stems

Drought acclimation in woody plants tends to be associated with the development of denser vascular tissue. As wood density may be correlated with the mechanical properties of the tissue, we hypothesized that seedlings subjected to drought would develop stems that had a higher density as well as stiffer and stronger tissue. We tested our hypothesis on establishing trees of the species Betula pendula, Acacia karroo and Ochoma pyramidale. The seedlings were grown for 1 year under well-watered as compared with cyclically droughted conditions. The modulus of elasticity in bending, yield stress, density and pith- and bark fractions of the stems at different heights were measured. In all three species, individuals grown under drought conditions had on average stiffer and stronger stems than the well-watered individuals, though non-significantly so in A. karroo. These differences were associated with a higher density in O. Pyramidale but not in the other species. In B. pendula, the differences in mechanical properties appear to be associated with other factors, e.g. modifications of the micro fibril angle in the S2 cell wall layer. Our results indicate that drought acclimation in seedlings affects the mechanical properties of the stem but that the causal acclimational processes may vary between species.

Uniaxial Mechanical Strain Modulates the Differentiation of Neural Crest Stem Cells into Smooth Muscle Lineage on Micropatterned Surfaces

Neural crest stem cells (NCSCs) play an important role in the development and represent a valuable cell source for tissue engineering. However, how mechanical factors in vivo regulate NCSC differentiation is not understood. Here NCSCs were derived from induced pluripotent stem cells and used as a model to determine whether vascular mechanical strain modulates the differentiation of NCSCs into smooth muscle (SM) lineage. NCSCs were cultured on micropatterned membranes to mimic the organization of smooth muscle cells (SMCs), and subjected to cyclic uniaxial strain. Mechanical strain enhanced NCSC proliferation and ERK2 phosphorylation. In addition, mechanical strain induced contractile marker calponin-1 within 2 days and slightly induced SM myosin within 5 days. On the other hand, mechanical strain suppressed the differentiation of NCSCs into Schwann cells. The induction of calponin-1 by mechanical strain was inhibited by neural induction medium but further enhanced by TGF-β. For NCSCs pre-treated with TGF-β, mechanical strain induced the gene expression of both calponin-1 and SM myosin. Our results demonstrated that mechanical strain regulates the differentiation of NCSCs in a manner dependent on biochemical factors and the differentiation stage of NCSCs. Understanding the mechanical regulation of NCSC differentiation will shed light on the development and remodeling of vascular tissues, and how transplanted NCSCs respond to mechanical factors.

Expression Analysis of Two NAC Transcription Factors PtNAC068 and PtNAC154 from Poplar

NAM/ATAF/CUC (NAC) family genes comprise one of the largest families of transcription factors in plant genomes and are widely expressed in developing woody tissues. In the present study, we constructed plant transformation vectors using the β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene system and detected the promoter expression patterns derived from the PtNAC068 and PtNAC154 genes of Chinese white poplar (Populus tomentosa Carr.) in transgenic poplars (Populus alba × Populus glandulosa). The results showed that the GUS expression driven by PtNAC068 and PtNAC154 promoters may be more complex in poplar than they are in Arabidopsis. Histochemical GUS assays showed that GUS activity driven by PtNAC068 promoter was mainly in vascular tissues of stems, leaves, petioles, and roots, while that driven by PtNAC154 promoter was confined to the developing secondary xylem of stems and veins of leaves. The transcript level of both PtNAC068 and PtNAC154 in successive internodes below the apex was found to be much higher in IN5-10 compared to that in IN2-4 as measured by real-time RT-PCR, suggesting that PtNAC068 and PtNAC154 upregulation is related to secondary growth in poplar. GUS expression in internodes 3–8 of ProNAC068::GUS transgenic plants was 30-fold higher than that in ProNAC154::GUS transgenic plants. The differences in the expression pattern and transcript level of mRNA accumulation indicate that PtNAC068 and PtNAC154 may be involved in two distinct aspects of vascular tissue development.

The transcriptome of fracture healing defines mechanisms of coordination of skeletal and vascular development during endochondral bone formation

Fractures initiate one round of endochondral bone formation in which callus cells differentiate in a synchronous manner that temporally phenocopies the spatial variation of endochondral development of a growth plate. During fracture healing C57BL/6J (B6) mice initiate chondrogenesis earlier and develop more cartilage than bone, whereas C3H/HeJ (C3H) mice initiate osteogenesis earlier and develop more bone than cartilage. Comparison of the transcriptomes of fracture healing in these strains of mice identified the genes that showed differences in timing and quantitative expression and encode for the variations in endochondral bone development of the two mouse strains. The complement of strain-dependent differences in gene expression was specifically associated with ontologies related to both skeletal and vascular formation. Moreover, the differences in gene expression associated with vascular tissue formation during fracture healing were correlated with the underlying differences in development and function of the cardiovascular systems of these two strains of mice. Significant differences in gene expression associated with bone morphogenetic protein/transforming growth factor β (BMP/TGF-β) signal-transduction pathways were identified between the two strains, and a network of differentially expressed genes specific to the MAP kinase cascade was further defined as a subset of the genes of the BMP/TGF-β pathways. Other signal-transduction pathways that showed significant strain-specific differences in gene expression included the RXR/PPAR and G protein-related pathways. These data identify how bone and vascular regeneration are coordinated through expression of common sets of transcription and morphogenetic factors and suggest that there is heritable linkage between vascular and skeletal tissue development during postnatal regeneration.

Effects of plant growth regulator treatments on stem vascular tissue development in linseed ( Linum usitatissimum L.)

Linseed ( Linum usitatissimum L.) is a widely grown source of industrial and edible oil. Other varieties of the same species (flax) are cultivated for the long, strong bast fibres of their stems. The bast fibres of linseed generally go unused, although there is growing interest in developing linseed into a dual-purpose flax from which both seed and fibre could be utilized. Towards this objective, an improved understanding is required of the role of plant growth regulators in stem and fibre development in linseed. We have tested the effects of applying varying combinations of gibberellic acid (GA 3), the auxin indole-3-acetic acid, and a GA biosynthesis inhibitor (paclobutrazol) to an elite linseed variety (CDC Bethune). Results showed that GA stimulated stem elongation, stem expansion and the proliferation, expansion, elongation and cell wall thickening of xylem fibres. The impact of GA on phloem tissues was less apparent, although GA had a positive effect on the number of bast fibres observed in stem transverse section, and GA 3 application in combination with IAA increased the thickness of bast fibre secondary walls nearly two-fold. Other than the bast fibre cell walls, IAA treatments (alone or in combination with GA 3) did not affect most aspects of linseed stem development, suggesting that the observed effects of GA were not mediated by cross-talk with IAA. The relationships defined here between GA, stem architecture, and bast fibre properties in linseed provide a useful framework for manipulation of fibre properties through breeding, biotechnology, and field treatments.

Comparison of a novel tomato sucrose synthase, SlSUS4, with previously described SlSUS isoforms reveals distinct sequence features and differential expression patterns in association with stem maturation

Sucrose synthase (SUS) plays a role in many contexts of sugar metabolism, including low-oxygen and low-ATP respiration and the synthesis of cellulose. In tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), as in many plants, SUS is encoded by genes at several independent loci. Here, we report the isolation of a novel tomato SUS (SlSUS) isoform, SlSUS4, that is homologous to potato SUS isoform 1 (StSUS1) and also shows greater homology to SUS isoforms of other plants than to the other tomato SUS isoforms. All three tomato isoforms are very similar in genomic structure and sequence, yet each is located on a separate chromosome. Real-time expression analysis of the three distinct isoforms revealed widely varying patterns of expression, in terms of both tissue specificity and overall magnitude of expression. Analysis of SlSUS expression along the tomato stem revealed opposing expression gradients for two of the SlSUS isoforms, in apparent correlation with vascular tissue maturation. Western-blot analysis of SlSUS protein showed an increasing SlSUS concentration gradient along the developmental axis of the tomato stem, with the protein concentrated mainly in the vascular tissue of the stem. These gene expression and protein accumulation patterns indicate that each isoform may play a discrete role in the development of tomato plants, most notably in the development of vascular tissue in the stem.

ThePopulusClass III HD ZIP,popREVOLUTA, Influences Cambium Initiation and Patterning of Woody Stems

The secondary growth of a woody stem requires the formation of a vascular cambium at an appropriate position and proper patterning of the vascular tissues derived from the cambium. Class III homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD ZIP) transcription factors have been implicated in polarity determination and patterning in lateral organs and primary vascular tissues and in the initiation and function of shoot apical meristems. We report here the functional characterization of a Populus class III HD ZIP gene, popREVOLUTA (PRE), that demonstrates another role for class III HD ZIPs in regulating the development of cambia and secondary vascular tissues. PRE is orthologous to Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) REVOLUTA and is expressed in both the shoot apical meristem and in the cambial zone and secondary vascular tissues. Transgenic Populus expressing a microRNA-resistant form of PRE presents unstable phenotypic abnormalities affecting both primary and secondary growth. Surprisingly, phenotypic changes include abnormal formation of cambia within cortical parenchyma that can produce secondary vascular tissues in reverse polarity. Genes misexpressed in PRE mutants include transcription factors and auxin-related genes previously implicated in class III HD ZIP functions during primary growth. Together, these results suggest that PRE plays a fundamental role in the initiation of the cambium and in regulating the patterning of secondary vascular tissues.

Analysis of vascular development in the hydra sterol biosynthetic mutants of Arabidopsis.

BackgroundThe control of vascular tissue development in plants is influenced by diverse hormonal signals, but their interactions during this process are not well understood. Wild-type sterol profiles are essential for growth, tissue patterning and signalling processes in plant development, and are required for regulated vascular patterning.Methodology/Principal FindingsHere we investigate the roles of sterols in vascular tissue development, through an analysis of the Arabidopsis mutants hydra1 and fackel/hydra2, which are defective in the enzymes sterol isomerase and sterol C-14 reductase respectively. We show that defective vascular patterning in the shoot is associated with ectopic cell divisions. Expression of the auxin-regulated AtHB8 homeobox gene is disrupted in mutant embryos and seedlings, associated with variably incomplete vascular strand formation and duplication of the longitudinal axis. Misexpression of the auxin reporter proIAA2∶GUS and mislocalization of PIN proteins occurs in the mutants. Introduction of the ethylene-insensitive ein2 mutation partially rescues defective cell division, localization of PIN proteins, and vascular strand development.ConclusionsThe results support a model in which sterols are required for correct auxin and ethylene crosstalk to regulate PIN localization, auxin distribution and AtHB8 expression, necessary for correct vascular development.

Vascular Development: Similar Regulators Function in Shoot, Root, and Vascular Meristems

The development and maintenance of the procambium and cambium, together referred to as the vascular meristem, are not well understood (reviewed in [Elo et al., 2009][1]). Recently, it has come to light that, along with hormones, peptide signals are active in vascular tissue development. TRACHEARY

The immunolocation of XTH1 in embryonic axes during chickpea germination and seedling growth confirms its function in cell elongation and vascular differentiation.

In a previous work, the immunolocation of the chickpea XTH1 (xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase 1) protein in the cell walls of epicotyls, radicles, and stems was studied, and a role for this protein in the elongation of vascular cells was suggested. In the present work, the presence and the location of the XTH1 protein in embryonic axes during the first 48 h of seed imbibition, including radicle emergence, were studied. The presence of the XTH1 protein in the cell wall of embryonic axes as early as 3 h after imbibition, before radicle emergence, supports its involvement in germination, and the fact that the protein level increased until 24 h, when the radicle had already emerged, also suggests its participation in the elongation of embryonic axes. The localization of XTH1 clearly indicates that the protein is related to the development of vascular tissue in embryonic axes during the period studied, suggesting that the role of this protein in embryonic axes is the same as that proposed for seedlings and plants.