A hallmark of plant development is plasticity.Root system architecture modulation in response to fluctuations of nutrient and water supply is a case in point(Giehl et al.,2014).The formation and length of lateral root...A hallmark of plant development is plasticity.Root system architecture modulation in response to fluctuations of nutrient and water supply is a case in point(Giehl et al.,2014).The formation and length of lateral roots or the density of root hairs are strongly influenced by the availability of macro-and micronutrients.Roots actively forage for mineral-rich patches in the typically heterogeneous soil environment and adjust their development systemically to increase the surface for nutrient uptake.Apparently,the opposite can happen as well.A recent study by Wang et al.(2023)convincingly demonstrated an active avoidance of unfavorable conditions by rice roots.When the seminal root of rice seedlings was placed between two agar blocks,one of them containing cations at toxic concentrations,adventitious roots developed only on the non-stress side,while development on the stress side was arrested(Figure 1).Besides,far more lateral roots were formed than in the absence of asymmetrically applied stress.After a while,this resulted in a total root biomass equivalent to that of control seedlings.The roots,in other words,had successfully shifted away from the stressful environment.展开更多
Photosynthesis,respiration,and countless other processes are dependent on proteins that carry iron(Fe)as an essential cofactor.When Fe was recruited for biological functions early in evolution,it was an available elem...Photosynthesis,respiration,and countless other processes are dependent on proteins that carry iron(Fe)as an essential cofactor.When Fe was recruited for biological functions early in evolution,it was an available element.The Earth's atmosphere was reducing with oxygen limited to very low pressure.Thus,Fe was present as comparatively soluble Fe sulfides.展开更多
文摘A hallmark of plant development is plasticity.Root system architecture modulation in response to fluctuations of nutrient and water supply is a case in point(Giehl et al.,2014).The formation and length of lateral roots or the density of root hairs are strongly influenced by the availability of macro-and micronutrients.Roots actively forage for mineral-rich patches in the typically heterogeneous soil environment and adjust their development systemically to increase the surface for nutrient uptake.Apparently,the opposite can happen as well.A recent study by Wang et al.(2023)convincingly demonstrated an active avoidance of unfavorable conditions by rice roots.When the seminal root of rice seedlings was placed between two agar blocks,one of them containing cations at toxic concentrations,adventitious roots developed only on the non-stress side,while development on the stress side was arrested(Figure 1).Besides,far more lateral roots were formed than in the absence of asymmetrically applied stress.After a while,this resulted in a total root biomass equivalent to that of control seedlings.The roots,in other words,had successfully shifted away from the stressful environment.
文摘Photosynthesis,respiration,and countless other processes are dependent on proteins that carry iron(Fe)as an essential cofactor.When Fe was recruited for biological functions early in evolution,it was an available element.The Earth's atmosphere was reducing with oxygen limited to very low pressure.Thus,Fe was present as comparatively soluble Fe sulfides.
