Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol. 51, No. 350, pp. 1555-1562,
September 2000
© 2000 Oxford University Press
Growth of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings under water deficit studied by control of water potential in nutrient-agar media
1 Division of Biological Sciences, 109 Tucker Hall, University of Missouri-Columbia, Missouri 65211, USA
2 Department of Agronomy, Plant Science Unit, University of Missouri-Columbia, Missouri 65211, USA
We have characterized the growth responses of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings to water deficit. To manipulate the water potential, we developed a method whereby the nutrient-agar medium could be supplemented with polyethylene glycol (PEG 8000); PEG was introduced into gelled media by diffusion, which produced media with water potential as low as -1.6 MPa. For dark-grown plants, hypocotyl growth had a hyperbolic dependence on water potential, and was virtually stopped by -1 MPa. In contrast, primary root elongation was stimulated by moderate deficit and even at -1.6 MPa was not significantly less than the control. That these results did not depend on a direct effect of PEG was attested by obtaining indistinguishable results when a dialysis membrane impermeable to PEG was placed between the medium and the seedlings. For light-grown seedlings, moderate deficit also stimulated primary root elongation and severe deficit reduced elongation only partially. These changes in elongation were paralleled by changes in root system dry weight. At moderate deficit, lateral root elongation and initiation were unaffected and at higher stress levels both were inhibited. Primary root diameter increased steadily with time in well-watered controls and under water deficit increased transiently before stabilizing at a diameter that was inversely proportional to the deficit. Along with stimulated primary root elongation, moderate water deficit also stimulated the rate of cell production. Thus, A. thaliana responds to water deficit vigorously, which enhances its use as a model to uncover mechanisms underlying plant responses to water deficit.
Key words: Arabidopsis thaliana, cell division, polyethylene glycol, root and shoot growth, water deficit.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  G. Zolla, Y. M. Heimer, and S. Barak Mild salinity stimulates a stress-induced morphogenic response in Arabidopsis thaliana roots J. Exp. Bot., November 2, 2009; (2009) erp290v2. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. J. Manfre, G. A. LaHatte, C. R. Climer, and W. R. Marcotte Jr Seed Dehydration and the Establishment of Desiccation Tolerance During Seed Maturation is Altered in the Arabidopsis thaliana Mutant atem6-1 Plant Cell Physiol., February 1, 2009; 50(2): 243 - 253. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. R. MacGregor, K. I. Deak, P. A. Ingram, and J. E. Malamy Root System Architecture in Arabidopsis Grown in Culture Is Regulated by Sucrose Uptake in the Aerial Tissues PLANT CELL, October 1, 2008; 20(10): 2643 - 2660. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. Yoshimura, A. Masuda, M. Kuwano, A. Yokota, and K. Akashi Programmed Proteome Response for Drought Avoidance/Tolerance in the Root of a C3 Xerophyte (Wild Watermelon) Under Water Deficits Plant Cell Physiol., February 1, 2008; 49(2): 226 - 241. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. Xiong, R.-G. Wang, G. Mao, and J. M. Koczan Identification of Drought Tolerance Determinants by Genetic Analysis of Root Response to Drought Stress and Abscisic Acid Plant Physiology, November 1, 2006; 142(3): 1065 - 1074. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
X. Cai, E. J. Davis, J. Ballif, M. Liang, E. Bushman, V. Haroldsen, J. Torabinejad, and Y. Wu Mutant identification and characterization of the laccase gene family in Arabidopsis J. Exp. Bot., August 1, 2006; 57(11): 2563 - 2569. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Willaume and L. Pages How periodic growth pattern and source/sink relations affect root growth in oak tree seedlings J. Exp. Bot., March 1, 2006; 57(4): 815 - 826. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. E. Verslues and E. A. Bray Role of abscisic acid (ABA) and Arabidopsis thaliana ABA-insensitive loci in low water potential-induced ABA and proline accumulation J. Exp. Bot., January 1, 2006; 57(1): 201 - 212. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. E. Williams, J. Torabinejad, E. Cohick, K. Parker, E. J. Drake, J. E. Thompson, M. Hortter, and D. B. DeWald Mutations in the Arabidopsis Phosphoinositide Phosphatase Gene SAC9 Lead to Overaccumulation of PtdIns(4,5)P2 and Constitutive Expression of the Stress-Response Pathway Plant Physiology, June 1, 2005; 138(2): 686 - 700. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Christmann, T. Hoffmann, I. Teplova, E. Grill, and A. Muller Generation of Active Pools of Abscisic Acid Revealed by In Vivo Imaging of Water-Stressed Arabidopsis Plant Physiology, January 1, 2005; 137(1): 209 - 219. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. E. Sharp, V. Poroyko, L. G. Hejlek, W. G. Spollen, G. K. Springer, H. J. Bohnert, and H. T. Nguyen Root growth maintenance during water deficits: physiology to functional genomics J. Exp. Bot., November 1, 2004; 55(407): 2343 - 2351. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. E. Verslues and E. A. Bray LWR1 and LWR2 Are Required for Osmoregulation and Osmotic Adjustment in Arabidopsis Plant Physiology, September 1, 2004; 136(1): 2831 - 2842. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. I. Baskin, G. T.S. Beemster, J. E. Judy-March, and F. Marga Disorganization of Cortical Microtubules Stimulates Tangential Expansion and Reduces the Uniformity of Cellulose Microfibril Alignment among Cells in the Root of Arabidopsis Plant Physiology, August 1, 2004; 135(4): 2279 - 2290. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. G. Dubrovsky and L. F. Gomez-Lomeli Water deficit accelerates determinate developmental program of the primary root and does not affect lateral root initiation in a Sonoran Desert cactus (Pachycereus pringlei, Cactaceae) Am. J. Botany, June 1, 2003; 90(6): 823 - 831. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Z. Ma, T. I. Baskin, K. M. Brown, and J. P. Lynch Regulation of Root Elongation under Phosphorus Stress Involves Changes in Ethylene Responsiveness Plant Physiology, March 1, 2003; 131(3): 1381 - 1390. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. GRANIER, C. MASSONNET, O. TURC, B. MULLER, K. CHENU, and F. TARDIEU Individual Leaf Development in Arabidopsis thaliana: a Stable Thermal-time-based Programme Ann. Bot., May 1, 2002; 89(5): 595 - 604. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|