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ABSTRACT: Participation of the intervascular transport system within the rice stem during cadmium (Cd) partitioning was investigated by characterizing (109)Cd behaviour in the shoot. In addition, (45)Ca, (32)P, and (35)S partitioning patterns were analysed for comparison with that of (109)Cd. Each tracer was applied to the seedling roots for 15min, and the shoots were harvested either at 15min (i.e. immediately after tracer application) or at 48h. Distribution patterns of each element at 15min were studied to identify the primary transport pathway before remobilization was initiated. (32)P was preferentially transported to completely expanded leaf blades having the highest transpiration rate. The newest leaf received minimal amounts of (32)P. In contrast, the amount of (35)S transported to the newest leaf was similar to that transported to the other mature leaf blades. Preferential movement towards the newest leaf was evident for (109)Cd and (45)Ca. These results directly indicate that elemental transport is differentially regulated in the vegetative stem as early as 15min before the elements are transported to leaves. Cd behaviour in the stem was investigated in detail by obtaining serial section images from the bottom part of shoots after (109)Cd was applied to a single crown root. At 30min, the maximum amount of (109)Cd was distributed in the peripheral cylinder of the longitudinal vascular bundles (PV) and, interestingly, some amount of (109)Cd was transported downwards along the PV. This transport manner of (109)Cd provides evidence that Cd can be loaded on the phloem at the stem immediately after Cd is transported from the root.
Journal of Experimental Botany 12/2012; · 5.36 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Magnesium (Mg) is an essential macronutrient supporting various functions, including photosynthesis. However, the specific physiological responses to Mg deficiency remain elusive. In this study, 2-week-old rice seedlings (Oryza sativa. cv. Nipponbare) with three expanded leaves (L2-L4) were transferred to Mg-free nutrient solution for 8 days. In the absence of Mg, on day 8, L5 and L6 were completely developed, while L7 just emerged. We also studied several mineral deficiencies to identify specific responses to Mg deficiency. Each leaf was analyzed in terms of chlorophyll, starch, anthocyanin and carbohydrate metabolites, and only absence of Mg was found to cause irreversible senescence of L5. Resupply of Mg at various time points confirmed that the borderline of L5 death was between days 6 and 7 of Mg deficiency treatment. Decrease in chlorophyll concentration and starch accumulation occurred simultaneously in L5 and L6 blades on day 8. However, nutrient transport drastically decreased in L5 as early as day 6. These data suggest that the predominant response to Mg deficiency is a defect in transpiration flow. Furthermore, changes in myo-inositol and citrate concentrations were detected only in L5 when transpiration decreased, suggesting that they may constitute new biological markers of Mg deficiency.
Physiologia Plantarum 11/2012; · 3.11 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Ionic nutrition is essential for plant development. Many techniques have been developed to image and (or) measure ionic movement in plants. Nevertheless, most of them are destructive and limit the analysis. Here, we present the development of radioisotope imaging techniques that overcome such restrictions and allow for real-time imaging of ionic movement. The first system, called macroimaging, was developed to visualize and measure ion uptake and translocation between organs at a whole-plant scale. Such a device is fully compatible with illumination of the sample. We also modified fluorescent microscopes to set up various solutions for ion uptake analysis at the microscopic level. Both systems allow numerical analysis of images and possess a wide dynamic range of detection because they are based on radioactivity.
Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences 06/2012; 367(1595):1501-8. · 6.40 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The visual symptoms of damage by acid sulfate soil look quite similar to those due to soil moisture deficit. The present paper
is to confirm if acid soil-tolerance is associated with drought tolerance in terms of leaf water potential, transpiration,
and dry matter production. Seedlings of seven acid soil-tolerant (acid-tolerant), and three acid soil-intolerant varieties
(acid-intolerant) were subjected to low pH conditions (pH 3.8) for 48 hours. The rate of water uptake was determined continuously
by measuring radioactivity in the collar part (target area) of rice leaves exposed to 18F-labeled water (18F-water) using a Positron Emitting Tracer Imaging System (PETIS). The PETIS measurement showed that the radioactivity in the
target position of leaves of acid-tolerant varieties increased faster than that of the intolerant varieties after the 18F-water was applied into the vial. In the plants subjected to low pH conditions, the transpiration rate (Tr) and leaf water
potential (Ψ) decreased in both acid-tolerant and intolerant varieties. However, the extent of reduction was less in the acid-tolerant
varieties than in the intolerant ones. Moreover, the dry matter production rate of the acid-tolerant varieties was significantly
higher than that of the acid-intolerant ones in the low pH conditions. This study clearly shows that 18F-water uptake in a leaf was higher, and water relations were also better maintained in the acid-tolerant varieties compared
with intolerant ones, resulting in higher growth rate in the acid-tolerant varieties, when plants were exposed to the acid
solution conditions. We conclude that acid soil-tolerance is closely associated with leaf water relations in rice plants.
Key wordsacid soil tolerance-
18F-labeled water-leaf water potential-
Oryza sativa L.-positron emitting tracer imaging system-rice-transpiration-water relations
04/2012; 12(4):261-265.
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ABSTRACT: We report the characterization of magnesium (Mg) transport from external solution to xylem by using xylem fluid analysis in rice (Oryza sativa L. Nipponbare). It was indicated that Mg uptake and/or xylem loading was mediated by two transport systems, a saturable and a linear component. The K m value of the saturable component was approximately 20 µM, and the saturated concentration was calculated to be 1.5 mM. Using a multi-compartment transport box with excised roots, the transfer from external solution to xylem was shown to be inhibited by hexaamminecobalt(III) {[Co(III)(NH3)6], Co-Hex}, a selective inhibitor of CorA-mediated influx of Mg2+, suggesting that the MRS2/MGT genes that belong to the superfamily of CorA-type membrane proteins are involved in the Mg transport system.
Soil Science and Plant Nutrition. 04/2011; 57(2):265-271.
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ABSTRACT: The mineral composition of taro ( Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) was analyzed to develop a method to distinguish taro produced in Japan and China. The concentrations of 15 elements (Al, Ca, Cl, Mg, Mn, Br, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, K, Na, Rb, Sc, Zn) were assayed using instrumental neutron activation analysis. The concentrations of NO(3)(-), SO(4)(2-), H(2)PO(4)(-), Cl(-), malate, and oxalate were measured by ion chromatography. The mean concentrations of H(2)PO(4)(-), Co, Cr, and Na significantly differed (P < 0.01) between taro grown in Japan and that grown in China. Discriminant analysis was performed to identify the most efficient combination of elements and compounds to discriminate the taro geographic origin. The highest percentage of correct classification was achieved with a two-variable model including H(2)PO(4)(-) and Co (100% for Japanese, 93.75% for Chinese). Principal component analysis and cluster analysis using all of the assayed elements and compounds were also conducted to determine which elements significantly accounted for the variation of the taro mineral composition. We report on the potential of H(2)PO(4)(-) and Co concentrations to differentiate taro grown in China and Japan and discuss the sources of variability in the taro mineral composition of our samples.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 03/2011; 59(9):4412-7. · 2.82 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The main source of phosphorus for plants is inorganic phosphate (Pi), which is characterized by its poor availability and low mobility. Uptake of this element from the soil relies heavily upon the PHT1 transporters, a specific family of plant plasma membrane proteins that were identified by homology with the yeast PHO84 Pi transporter. Since the discovery of PHT1 transporters in 1996, various studies have revealed that their function is controlled by a highly complex network of regulation. This review will summarize the current state of research on plant PHT1 multigenic families, including physiological, biochemical, molecular, cellular, and genetics studies.
Frontiers in plant science. 01/2011; 2:83.
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ABSTRACT: The lateral water movement in the intact stem of a transpiring soybean plant was analyzed quantitatively by a real-time measurement system utilizing labeled water, H(2)(15)O and gamma ray detectors. A large volume of water escaping from xylem vessels during its transport was detected. The escape of water was not influenced by evaporation from the stem surface or mass flow in the sieve tubes. It was assumed that the total amount of water transported through xylem vessels was kept almost completely constant along the internode. As a result, most of the escaped water was found to re-enter the xylem vessels, i.e. water exchange occurred. The analysis of radiographs of tritiated water suggested that the self-diffusion effect of water was strong for lateral water movement, although another driving force besides thermal motion was included in the process, and that the process was also affected by the water permeability of the plasma membrane. An analysis based on a mathematical model showed that the net volume of water which escaped from xylem vessels was not dependent on the transpiration rate of the plant.
Plant and Cell Physiology 06/2008; 49(5):718-29. · 4.70 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We investigate the effect of Al on K+ uptake by rice roots. Potassium-38 (38K), a positron emitting nuclide (the half-life: 7.61 min), was used to trace K+ behavior. When a rice root was treated with 10μM Al for 24 h, the uptake of 38K in the root was increased in the range of 1 to 2 cm from the root tip compared with that of the control sample. Because the root continued to grow without showing any damage of plasma membrane during the Al treatment, it was suggested that the 38K uptake was not occurred through diffusion into the cells. The uptake of 38K in both treatments, with/without Al, was decreased by VO43- (inhibitor of H+-ATPase on plasma membrane) and DNP (H+ ionophore) treatment, which suggested that the K+ uptake was performed through an active transport, such as H+:K+ transport or H+ gradient promoted by an Al treatment.
Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 01/2006; 51(5):715 - 717. · 1.02 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To study the mechanisms of Al tolerance in rice, we focused on the change of rhizosphere pH. The 4-d seedlings were treated with Al solution (0, 10, 50 mM) for 24 h. Then each sample was put on an agarose gel including bromocresol green, so that the color of the gel indicated pH change. During 2-h contact, the pH of rhizosphere was decreased gradually, especially for Al-treated samples, showing the specific pH profiles along the root axis. Pretreatment of sample plants with a decoupling reagent 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) or a plasma membrane H+-ATPase inhibitor Na3VO4 did not decrease rhizosphere pH. Therefore, it was suggested that the H+ secretion activity was involved with Al-tolerant mechanisms of rice.
Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 01/2006; 51(5):729 - 731. · 1.02 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The influence of Hg on soybean plants under different pH conditions and Hg concentrations was studied. Growth inhibition by Hg was higher in roots than the upper part of the plant, but was highly dependant on pH condition. Growth inhibition of roots was observed when Hg concentration was higher than 1 mg Hg L−1 for pH 4.0 and 5 mg Hg L−1 for pH 6.0. Using 203Hg as a radioactive tracer, the amount of Hg (1 mg Hg L−1) uptake in root was found to be about 1.5 times higher at pH 4.0 than that at pH 6.0; suggesting that Hg when highly accumulated at the lower pH induced inhibition of root growth. Decreased amounts of Hg due to evaporation during the plant growth were very low, but were higher at pH 6.0 than that at pH 4.0. There was hardly any translocation of Hg from roots to the upper parts through the stem within 24 h.
Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 01/2006; 51(5):725 - 727. · 1.02 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: For degradation of chitosan, chitosan with an 80% degree of deacetylation and a weight-average molecular mass (Mw) of approx. 48 kDa was irradiated with gamma-rays at doses up to 200 kGy in a 10% (w/v) solution. The Mw of chitosan was reduced from 48 to 9.1 kDa by irradiation. The characteristics of irradiated chitosan were analysed by using Fourier-transform IR spectroscopy and an elemental analyser. The amino group was found to be stable, whereas the C-O-C group decreased with increase in the dose. The product of chitosan irradiated at 100 kGy with an Mw of approx. 16 kDa showed the strongest growth promotion effect on plants in vitro. For shoot culture, supplementation with irradiated chitosan increased the fresh biomass of shoot clusters (7.2-17.0%) as well as the shoot multiplication rate (17.9-69.0%) for Chrysanthemum morifolium (florist's chrysanthemum), Limonium latifolium (limonium or sea-lavender), Eustoma grandiflorum (lisianthus, tulip gentian or Texas bluebell) and Fragaria ananassa (modern garden strawberry). The optimum concentrations of irradiated chitosan were found to be approx. 70-100 mg/l for chrysanthemum, 50-100 mg/l for lisianthus and 30-100 mg/l for limonium. For the plantlet culture, the optimum concentrations were found to be approx. 100 mg/l for chrysanthemum, 30 mg/l for lisianthus, 40 mg/l for limonium and 50 mg/l for strawberry. Supplementation with optimum concentrations of irradiated chitosan resulted in a significant increase in the fresh biomass (68.1% for chrysanthemum, 48.5% for lisianthus, 53.6% for limonium and 26.4% for strawberry), shoot height (19.4% for chrysanthemum, 16.5% for lisianthus, 33.9% for limonium and 25.9% for strawberry) and root length (40.6% for chrysanthemum, 66.9% for lisianthus, 23.4% for limonium and 22.6% for strawberry). In addition, treatment with irradiated chitosan enhanced the activity of chitosanase in treated plants and also improved the survival ratio and growth of the transferred plantlets acclimatized for 10-30 days under greenhouse conditions.
Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry 03/2005; 41(Pt 1):49-57. · 1.53 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The circumnutation of a rice root under dark conditions was observed using a highly sensitive camera, a new super-HARP camera. A rice root showed regular rhythmic movement with fixed angle. When treated with Al (5 microM AlCl3), the rotation angle of the root tip was drastically decreased and then the movement was resumed again, whereas the root elongation rate was constant. With the increase of Al concentration, the cycle-fading period became shorter. This is the first report to show that an Al treatment ceased the rotation movement of the root but not elongation.
Plant and Cell Physiology 04/2004; 45(3):351-6. · 4.70 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Alginate with a weight-average molecular mass (Mw) of approx. 9.04 x 10(5) Da was irradiated at 10-200 kGy in 4% (w/v) aqueous solution. The degraded alginate product was used to study its effectiveness as a growth promoter for plants in tissue culture. Alginate irradiated at 75 kGy with an Mw of approx. 1.43 x 10(4) Da had the highest positive effect in the growth of flower plants, namely limonium, lisianthus and chrysanthemum. Treatment of plants with irradiated alginate at concentrations of 30-200 mg/l increased the shoot multiplication rate from 17.5 to 40.5% compared with control. In plantlet culture, 100 mg/l irradiated alginate supplementation enhanced shoot height (9.7-23.2%), root length (9.7-39.4%) and fresh biomass (8.1-19.4%) of chrysanthemum, lisianthus and limonium compared with that of the untreated control. The survival ratios of the transferred flower plantlets treated with irradiated alginate were almost the same as the control value under greenhouse conditions. However, better growth was attained for the treated plantlets.
Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry 01/2004; 38(Pt 3):283-8. · 1.53 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The economic scale of the application of radiation in the field of agriculture in Japan was estimated from public documents to be about 964M$ (million dollars) in 1997. In the food irradiation, an amount of 15,000t of potatoes irradiated per year in Hokkaido was estimated to be worth 16M$. Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) used for combating losses due to the melon fly in the mainly Okinawa region produced as much as 70M$ in benefits. Production of rice using varieties developed by mutation breeding was about 3% of overall production in Japan and the economic scale was 774M$. Radioisotope (RI) utilized in laboratory work, environmental analysis and chronology was accounted to be as high as 24M$. The relative ratios of radiation processing (136M$), mutation breeding (804M$) and RI utilization (24M$) were 14%, 83%, and 3%, respectively. The economic scale surveys in food irradiation and mutation breeding were extended to the United States of America (hereinafter abbreviated as U.S.A. or U.S.) for a direct comparison to the situation in Japan. As to maximum estimation, it amounted to be 3.2b$ (billion dollars) for food irradiation and 11.2b$ for mutation breeding. The economic scale for agriculture products within our scope was 14.5b$ for the U.S. and about 0.8b$ for Japan, implying that the former is larger in magnitude by a factor of about 18.
Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology 01/2002; 39(10):1106-1113. · 0.71 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We present a simple procedure for measuring the pH in the apoplast of the rice root, using the fluorescent ratio method and Oregon Green 488 (OG). Staining with 5 μM OG for 3 min followed by 5-min washing with calcium solution was an effective method for measuring the pH of the apoplast at the root surface. In order to prevent the diffusion of OG from the apoplast, the circulation of a low concentration of OG (0.02 μM) in a root vessel was found to be a useful modality. However, aluminum ion disturbed pH measure-ment. In the presence of 50 μM AlCl3, the pH value was inaccurate at the pH rage higher than pH 5.0.
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ABSTRACT: Alginate with the weight-average molecular weight (Mw) approximately 900 kDa and ratio of M (mannuronate)/G (guluronate) about 1.3 was irradiated by gamma Co-60 in aqueous solution at doses up to 200 kGy. The irradiation dose was shown to be a function for reducing Mw and molecular weight distribution of irradiated alginates. The distribution of oligomer fractions in irradiated products was also investigated by separation using ultrafiltration membranes. The irradiated alginate with Mw approximately 14.2 kDa was found to have a positive influence for growing of barley and soybean. The irradiated oligoalginate fraction with Mw ranging from 1 to 3 kDa displayed the strongest effect on the growth and development of the mentioned plants at low concentration (20 ppm). It is suggested that oligoalginate with Mw in the range 1–3 kDa is a trigger for the growth and development of plants.
Radiation Physics and Chemistry.
