An obscure aquatic plant has revealed insights into how plants protect themselves from cracking caused by growth-related stresses. Dr. Robert Kelly-Bellow and Karen Lee from Professor Enrico Coen’s team at the John Innes Centre made this discovery while studying a dwarf mutant of the carnivorous plant, Utricularia gibba.
Unlike most plants with solid stems, Utricularia gibba has hollow stems filled with airspaces, making its vascular column susceptible to buckling under stress. In the dwarf mutant, the central column appeared wavy, indicating a conflict between the internal tissue and the outer epidermis. Computational modeling supported the idea that this conflict resulted in a straitjacket effect, where the skin prevented the stem from elongating.
Further investigation revealed that the Utricularia gibba dwarf mutant lacked a growth hormone called brassinosteroid, which typically allows the skin to stretch and permits stem elongation. To confirm this, the researchers used a mutant of the model plant Arabidopsis with weakened cell adhesion, which, when treated with a brassinosteroid inhibitor, resulted in significant cracks in the stem’s skin due to increased stresses.
The study emphasized the crucial role of cell adhesion in coordinating plant growth. The glue-like substance called pectin that binds plant cells together was shown to be a powerful force in driving coordinated growth. The findings have implications for dwarfing varieties of crops like wheat and rice, offering insights into how their growth is regulated, potentially enhancing agricultural efficiency.
Moreover, these discoveries may also have implications for understanding developmental processes in animals, such as crocodile skin formation and the shaping of the intestine, where mechanical interactions between cell layers are thought to be involved.
The researchers expressed excitement about the study’s success, as it provides valuable insights into the mechanisms behind plant growth and how nature works in coordination. The study was funded by UKRI/BBSRC and holds promising potential for future research in the field of plant and animal development.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Plant growth hormone
Q: What did the study on the obscure aquatic plant reveal?
A: The study revealed insights into how plants prevent cracking during growth, highlighting the crucial role of a growth hormone called brassinosteroid in maintaining stem integrity.
Q: Who conducted the research on the aquatic plant?
A: The research was conducted by Dr. Robert Kelly-Bellow and Karen Lee from Professor Enrico Coen’s team at the John Innes Centre.
Q: What was unique about the dwarf mutant of Utricularia gibba?
A: The dwarf mutant had a wavy stem due to a conflict between the internal tissue and the epidermis. Unlike most plants, its stem is hollow and can buckle under stress.
Q: How did the lack of brassinosteroid affect the plant’s growth?
A: The absence of brassinosteroid hormone caused the plant’s skin to become less flexible, leading to severe cracking in the stem under stress.
Q: What significance does this research hold for agriculture?
A: The findings provide valuable insights into the growth regulation of dwarfing crop varieties like wheat and rice, potentially leading to improved agricultural efficiency.
Q: Could these discoveries have implications beyond plant biology?
A: Yes, the study suggests that mechanical interactions between cell layers may play a role in the developmental processes of animals, such as crocodile skin formation and intestinal shaping.
Q: What funding supported this research?
A: The study was funded by UKRI/BBSRC.
Q: What impact could this study have on future research?
A: The research opens up new avenues for investigating how mechanical interactions influence various aspects of plant and animal development, encouraging further exploration in this field.
More about Plant growth hormone
- Science: “Brassinosteroid coordinates cell layer interactions in plants via cell wall and tissue mechanics” (DOI: 10.1126/science.adf0752)
- John Innes Centre: https://www.jic.ac.uk/
- UKRI/BBSRC: https://bbsrc.ukri.org/
