Effect of Zn deficiency and excessive bicarbonate on the allocation and exudation of organic acids in two Moraceae plants

The effect of zinc(Zn) deficiency and excessive bicarbonate on the allocation and exudation of organic acids in plant organs(root, stem, and leaf) and root exudates of two Moraceae plants(Broussonetia papyrifera and Morus alba) were investigated. Two Moraceae plants were hydroponically grown and cultured in nutrient solution in four different treatments with 0.02 mM Zn or no Zn,combined with no or 10 mM bicarbonate. The variations of organic acids in different plant organs were similar to those of root exudates in the four treatments except B. papyrifera, which was in a treatment that was a combination of 0.02 mM Zn and no bicarbonate. The response characteristics in the production, translocation, and allocation of organic acids in the plant organs and root exudates varied with species and treatments. Organic acids in plant organs and root exudates increased under Zn-deficient conditions,excessive bicarbonate, or both. An increase of organic acids in the leaves resulted in an increase of root-exuded organic acids. B. papyrifera translocated more oxalate and citrate from the roots to the rhizosphere than M. alba under the dual influence of 10 mM bicarbonate and Zn deficiency. Organic acids of leaves may be derived from dark respiration and photorespiration. By comparison, organic acids in stems, roots, and root exudates may be derived from dark respiration and organic acid translocation from the leaves. These results provide evidence for the selective adaptation of plants to environments with low Zn levels or high bicarbonate levels such as a karst ecosystem.

Tolerance to Zn deficiency and P-Zn interaction in wheat seedlings cultured in chelator-buffered solutions

Zinc deficiency is a common constraint for wheat production in the regions with limited precipitation,particularly in the regions with high levels of available phosphate （P） in soil.Two experiments were conducted using chelator-buffered nutrient solutions to characterize differences in tolerance to Zn deficiency among three winter wheat （Triticum aestivum L）.genotypes and to investigate the relationship between P and Zn nutrition in wheat species.Four indices,Zn efficiency,relative shoot-to-root ratio,total Zn uptake in shoot,and shoot dry weight were used to compare the tolerance to Zn deficiency among three wheat genotypes.The results indicated that the four indices could be used in breeding selection for Zn uptake-efficient genotypes.The genotype H6712 was the most tolerant to Zn deficient,followed by M19,and then X13.Specifically,H6712 had the highest Zn uptake efficiency among the three genotypes.The addition of P to the growth medium increased Zn uptake and translocation from roots to shoots.Total Zn content of the wheat plant was 43% higher with 0.6 mmol/L P treatment than that of control with 0 mmol /L P treatment.The Zn translocation ratios from roots to shoots were increased by 16% and 26% with 0.6 mmol/L P treatment and 3 mmol/L P treatment,respectively,compared with 0 mmol/L P treatment.In contrast,high Zn concentrations in the growth medium inhibited P translocation from roots to shoots,but the inhibitive effects were not strong.Sixty-six percent of P taken up by wheat plants was translocated to the wheat shoots at 0 μmol/L Zn treatment,while the percent was 60% at 3 μmol/L Zn treatment.The result may be due to the fact that the wheat plants need more P than Zn.

Identification of Zinc Deficiency-Responsive MicroRNAs in Brassica juncea Roots by Small RNA Sequencing

The importance of zinc （Zn） as a micronutrient essential for plant growth and development is becoming increasingly apparent. Much of the world’s soil is Zn-deficient, and soil-based Zn deficiency is often accompanied by Zn deficiency in human populations. MicroRNAs （miRNAs） play important roles in the regulation of plant gene expression at the level of translation. Many miRNAs involved in the modulation of heavy metal toxicity responses in plants have been identiifed;however, the role of miRNAs in the plant Zn deifciency response is almost completely unknown. Using high-throughput Solexa sequencing, we identiifed several miRNAs that respond to Zn deifciency in Brassica juncea roots. At least 21 conserved candidate miRNA families, and 101 individual members within those families, were identiifed in both the control and the Zn-deifcient B. juncea roots. Among this, 15 miRNAs from 9 miRNA families were differentially expressed in the control and Zn-deifcient plants. Of the 15 differentially expressed miRNAs, 13 were up-regulated in the Zn-deifcient B. juncea roots, and only two, miR399b and miR845a, were down-regulated. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that these miRNAs were involved in modulating phytohormone response, plant growth and development, and abiotic stress responses in B. juncea roots. These data help to lay the foundation for further understanding of miRNA function in the regulation of the plant Zn deifciency response and its impact on plant growth and development.

The Effect of Zinc （Zn） Fertilization on Alleviating Cd Accumulation in Durum Wheat Grain

Cadmium （Cd） contamination of agricultural soils may pose severe risks and hazards for humans through food chain, as crop plants accumulate Cd in their edible tissues. Cd translocation from soil to plant is largely dependent on soil and plant type. Cd accumulation occurs much more in crop plants grown in soils with severe zinc （Zn） deficiency and durum wheat tends to accumulate more Cd in grain than the other cereals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the alleviating effect of Zn fertilization on Cd accumulation in durum wheat grain. A pot experiment including foliar Zn application of 0.3% w/v ZnSO4 and soil Cd applications of 0, 0.2 and 1.0 mg/kg was carried out in a completely randomized design using a Zn-deficient soil. Grain Cd concentration of plants receiving 0 mg/kg Cd was 31 μg/kg, whereas with 0.2 mg/kg and 1.0 mg/kg Cd applications it increased to the levels of 215 μg/kg and 1,489 μg/kg, respectively. Along with 0.3% ZnSO4 leaf applications, grain Cd concentrations decreased to 171 μg/kg and 754 μg/kg, by a reduction of 20.5% and 49.3%, respectively. In conclusion, it was determined that leaf applied Zn fertilizer might alleviate Cd accumulation in durum wheat grain in Zn deficiency conditions.

Integrated linkage mapping and genome-wide association study to dissect the genetic basis of zinc deficiency tolerance in maize at seedling stage

Zinc(Zn)deficiency is the most widespread micronutrient deficiency,affecting yield and quality of crops worldwide.Identifying genes associated with Zn-deficiency tolerance in maize is a basis for elucidating its genetic mechanism.A K22×CI7 recombinant inbred population consisting of 210 lines and an association panel of 508 lines were used to identify genetic loci influencing Zn-deficiency tolerance.Under-Zn and-Zn/CK conditions,15 quantitative trait loci(QTL)were detected,each explaining 5.7%-12.6%of phenotypic variation.Sixty-one significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)were identified at P<10^(-5)by genome-wide association study(GWAS),accounting for 5%-14%of phenotypic variation.Among respectively 198 and 183 candidate genes identified within the QTL regions and the 100-kb regions flanking these significant SNPs,12 were associated with Zn-deficiency tolerance.Among these candidate genes,four genes associated with hormone signaling in response to Zn-deficiency stress were co-localized with QTL or SNPs,including the genes involved in the auxin(ZmARF7),and ethylene(ZmETR5,ZmESR14,and ZmEIN2)signaling pathways.Three candidate genes were identified as being responsible for Zn transport,including ZmNAS3 detected by GWAS,ZmVIT and ZmYSL11 detected by QTL mapping.Expression of ZmYSL11 was up-regulated in Zn-deficient shoots.Four candidate genes that displayed different expression patterns in response to Zn deficiency were detected in the regions overlapping peak GWAS signals,and the haplotypes for each candidate gene were further analyzed.

Physiological changes and expression characteristics of ZIP family genes under zinc def iciency in navel orange(Citrus sinensis)

Zinc （Zn） deficiency is widespread among citrus plants, but information about the mechanisms for Zn deficiency response in these plants is scarce. In the present study, different navel orange （Citrus sinensis （L.） Osbeck） leaves with various yellowing levels were sampled in our experimental orchard, and upon estimation of nutrient contents, Zn deficiencies were diagnosed as mild, moderate, and severe. Further analysis of chlorophyll content, photosynthetic characteristics, antioxidant enzyme activities, and expression levels of Zn/Iron-regulated transporter-like protein （ZIP） family genes were conducted in the sampled Zn-deficient leaves. The results showed that chlorophyll contents and net photosynthetic rate （Pn） seemed to decrease with reduced Zn contents. In addition, comparison of severe Zn-deficient and normal leaves revealed that activities of peroxidase （POD） and catalase （CAT） increased significantly, whereas that of Zn-containing enzymes such as Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase （Cu/Zn-SOD） significantly reduced with decreasing Zn contents. As expected, expression of the ZIP family genes, ZIP1, ZIP3, and ZIP4, was induced by Zn deficiencies. These results deepen our understanding of Zn deficiency in citrus plants as well as provide useful preliminary information for further research.

Effect of Zn binding to phytate and humic substances on its uptake by wheat(Triticum durum L.)as affected by carbonates and Fe oxides

Although complexation with soil organic matter may improve zinc(Zn)bioavailability to plants,the effect of Zn sorbent surface on the use of complexed Zn by plants remains unknown.The objective of this research was to elucidate how Zn complexation with humic substances(HS)and phytate affects the uptake of Zn by wheat plants depending on the main sorbent surface in growth media,i.e.,carbonates and Fe oxides.To this end,two pot experiments were performed,one using Fe oxide-coated siliceous as the siliceous growth medium sand and the other using a mixture of calcareous sand and siliceous sand as the calcareous growth medium.Each experiment involved three Zn sources,Zn-HS complex,Zn phytate,and ZnSO_(4).All sources were applied with surface irrigation at two Zn rates(0.25 and 2 mg kg^(-1) growth medium).The Zn-HS complex significantly increased Zn uptake by plants in both media,relative to the other two Zn sources,but no significant difference was observed between Zn phytate and ZnSO_(4).In the calcareous medium,Zn-HS complex and Zn phytate resulted in significantly higher dry biomass yields of wheat than ZnSO_(4).In the siliceous medium,spike and shoot dry biomass yields with Zn-HS complex at the low rate and Zn phytate at both rates were not significantly different from those with ZnSO_(4) at the high rate.After harvest,approximately 50%of the Zn applied as Zn-HS complex remained extractable by diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid(DTPA),while this proportion was less than 20%for the other Zn sources.Thus,Zn-HS complex and Zn phytate are sources of available Zn for plants,and they are more effective than ZnSO_(4) in increasing plant growth,particularly when carbonates are the main Zn sorbent surface.

Response of Organic Acids to Zinc Homeostasis in Zinc-Deficient and Zinc-Toxic Apple Rootstock Roots

To elucidate the mechanisms of tolerance to zinc (Zn) deficiency and Zn toxicity in the root of apple trees, the apple rootstock Malus hupehensis (Pamp.) Rehd seedlings were selected to study the responses of organic acids to Zn homeostasis in roots under low Zn (0 μmol L-1 ), adequate Zn (as control, 4 μmol L-1 ) and toxic Zn (100 μmol L-1 ) treatments. The differences of Zn concentrations and accumulations in the roots were highest, compared with those in the stems and leaves, when apple seedlings were subjected to low and toxic Zn treatments for 1 d. The concentrations and accumulations of oxalic and malic acids in the roots in the low and toxic Zn treatments increased by 20% to 60% compared with those of the control treatment. Significantly negative correlations were found between the total Zn concentrations and the concentrations of oxalic and malic acids in the roots under 1 d of low Zn treatment. However, contrary correlations were found for the toxic Zn treatment. Meanwhile, the maximum influx rates of Zn 2+ under low and toxic Zn treatments increased by 30% and 20%, respectively, compared with the rate of the control treatment. Both Zn deficiency and Zn toxicity increased the concentrations of organic acids in root after short-time Zn treatment, which could resist Zn stress through balanding Zn homeostasis in M. hupehensis Rehd.