Dem IPB wird erneut ein beispielhaftes Handeln im Sinne einer chancengleichheitsorientierten Personal- und Organisationspolitik bescheinigt. Das Institut erhält zum 6. Mal in Folge das TOTAL E-QUALITY…
Die Plant Science Student Conference (PSSC) wird seit 20 Jahren im jährlichen Wechsel von Studierenden der beiden Leibniz-Institute IPK und IPB organisiert. Im Interview erläutern Christina Wäsch…
Weier, D.; Thiel, J.; Kohl, S.; Tarkowská, D.; Strnad, M.; Schaarschmidt, S.; Weschke, W.; Weber, H.; Hause, B.;Gibberellin-to-abscisic acid balances govern development and differentiation of the nucellar projection of barley grainsJ. Exp. Bot.655291-5304(2014)DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eru289
In cereal grains, the maternal nucellar projection (NP) constitutes the link to the filial organs, forming a transfer path for assimilates and signals towards the endosperm. At transition to the storage phase, the NP of barley (Hordeum vulgare) undergoes dynamic and regulated differentiation forming a characteristic pattern of proliferating, elongating, and disintegrating cells. Immunolocalization revealed that abscisic acid (ABA) is abundant in early non-elongated but not in differentiated NP cells. In the maternally affected shrunken-endosperm mutant seg8, NP cells did not elongate and ABA remained abundant. The amounts of the bioactive forms of gibberellins (GAs) as well as their biosynthetic precursors were strongly and transiently increased in wild-type caryopses during the transition and early storage phases. In seg8, this increase was delayed and less pronounced together with deregulated gene expression of specific ABA and GA biosynthetic genes. We concluded that differentiation of the barley NP is driven by a distinct and specific shift from lower to higher GA:ABA ratios and that the spatial–temporal change of GA:ABA balances is required to form the differentiation gradient, which is a prerequisite for ordered transfer processes through the NP. Deregulated ABA:GA balances in seg8 impair the differentiation of the NP and potentially compromise transfer of signals and assimilates, resulting in aberrant endosperm growth. These results highlight the impact of hormonal balances on the proper release of assimilates from maternal to filial organs and provide new insights into maternal effects on endosperm differentiation and growth of barley grains.
Publikation
Schaarschmidt, S.; Roitsch, T.; Hause, B.;Arbuscular mycorrhiza induces gene expression of the apoplastic invertase LIN6 in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) rootsJ. Exp. Bot.574015-4023(2006)DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erl172
Extracellular invertases are suggested to play a crucial role in the arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) symbiosis to fulfil the increased sink function of the mycorrhizal root and the supply of the obligate biotrophic AM fungus with hexoses. In tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), LIN6 represents an apoplastic invertase which is described as a key enzyme in establishing and maintaining sink metabolism. In this study, transcript levels of LIN6 were analysed in tomato roots colonized with the AM fungus Glomus intraradices. Using real-time RT–PCR, a nearly 3-fold increase in LIN6 mRNA levels was detected at late stages of mycorrhization (11 weeks after inoculation). A 1.8-fold induction could already be achieved at earlier stages (5 weeks after inoculation) using higher inoculum concentrations, whereas wounding of non-mycorrhizal roots resulted in up to 12-fold enhanced LIN6 transcripts. As revealed by in situ hybridization, the expression of LIN6 upon mycorrhization was specifically restricted to colonized cells and to the central cylinder. Such a strongly localized pattern due to mycorrhizal cells and to the central core could also be shown for promoter activity using transgenic Nicotiana tabacum plants expressing the gene coding for β-glucuronidase under the control of the LIN6 promoter. The moderate induction of LIN6 expression in mycorrhizal tomato roots compared with stress-stimulated induction suggested a fine-tuning in the activation of sink metabolism in the mutualistic interaction, avoiding stress-induced defence reactions.