磁生物学在模式植物拟南芥中的研究进展

Progress of magnetobiological study on the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana

地球磁场作为自然界中无处不在的环境因子,时刻影响着几乎所有生命活动。最经典的现象莫过于动物利用地磁进行精准导航,细菌利用磁场发现最适合生长的环境条件等。但植物是固着生长,是否也受到磁场的影响以及植物响应磁场的生物学意义等都是有待阐明的科学问题。早期的研究结果因材料与方法等不同缺乏可比性、有时甚至相互矛盾。近年来,越来越多的实验室使用模式植物拟南芥来研究植物磁生物学效应与作用机理,取得了显著进展。现有的证据表明,植物也具有响应磁场的能力,并与磁场方向以及光等因素密切相关。今后的研究将在分子水平上阐明固着生长的植物感知磁场的生物学意义与作用机理等关键科学问题。

Geomagnetic field (GMF),as a ubiquitously existing environmental factor,constantly affects life behaviors on the earth.The most well-known events are navigation of migrating animals and motion of magnetobacteria along with the geomagnetic line.Whether sessile plants can use GMF to adapt environmental changes is also an interesting question.The early data published in journals were quite variable and sometimes contradictory due to different materials,magnets and approaches used in experiments.Recently,with the use of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana,a significant progress has been made towards biological effect of GMF on plant growth and development.In general,it is no doubt that plants can respond to a change in magnetic field,and biological effects of GMF are related to the direction of magnetic field and light.In the future,thus,it is important to elucidate molecular mechanism underlying GMF-regulated plant growth and biological significance.