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Elongation of barley roots in high‐ pH nutrient solution is supported by both cell proliferation and differentiation in the root apex
Author(s) -
Higuchi Kyoko,
Ono Kota,
Araki Satoru,
Nakamura Shogo,
Uesugi Tetsuya,
Makishima Taira,
Ikari Atsushi,
Hanaoka Takahiro,
Sue Masayuki
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
plant, cell and environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.646
H-Index - 200
eISSN - 1365-3040
pISSN - 0140-7791
DOI - 10.1111/pce.12969
Subject(s) - elongation , nutrient , apex (geometry) , chemistry , hordeum vulgare , botany , biology , poaceae , horticulture , materials science , organic chemistry , metallurgy , ultimate tensile strength
Many crops grow well on neutral or weakly acidic soils. The ability of roots to elongate under high‐external pH would be advantageous for the survival of plants on alkaline soil. We found that root elongation was promoted in some plant species in alkaline‐nutrient solution. Barley, but not tomato, root growth was maintained in pH 8 nutrient solution. Fe and Mn were absorbed well from the pH 8 nutrient solution by both barley and tomato plants, suggesting that the different growth responses of these two species may not be caused by insolubilization of transition metals. The ability of intact barley and tomato plants to acidify external solution was comparable; in both species, this ability decreased in plants exposed to pH 8 nutrient solution for 1 w. Conversely, cell proliferation and elongation in barley root apices were facilitated at pH 8 as shown by microscopy and cell‐cycle‐related gene‐expression data; this was not observed in tomato. We propose that barley adapts to alkaline stress by increasing root development.