Abstract
Root border cells (RBC) are cells surrounding the root apex. They are functionally different from the apex and are considered to play a role in the protection of the root tip from biotic and abiotic stresses. We investigated RBC viability, formation, and pectin methylesterase (PME) activity of the root caps during RBC development in cowpea (Vigna ungniculata ssp. sesquipedalis) under aeroponic culture. The results showed that the border cells formed almost synchronously with the emergence of the root tip. The number of border cells reached the maximum when roots were approximately 15 mm long. Pectin methylesterase (PME) activity of the root cap peaked at a root length of 1 mm. Root border cells separated from the root cap died within 24 h under Al3+ stress while those still attached to the root cap maintained 85% viability at 48 h after treatment. The PME activity did not differ significantly under different Al3+ treatments.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- RBC:
-
Root border cell
- PME:
-
Pectin methylesterase
- FDA–PI:
-
Fluorescein diacetate–propidium iodide
References
Arriola L, Niemira BA, Safir GR (1997) Border cells and Arbuscular mycorrhizae in four Amaranthaceae species. Phytopathology 87:1240–1242
Hawes MC (1990) Sloughed root cape cells: a regulator of microbial populations in the rhizosphere. Plant Soil 129:19–27
Hawes MC, Lin HJ (1990) Correlation of pectolytic enzyme activity with the programmed release of cells from root caps of pea (Pisum sativum) .Plant Physiol 94:1855–1859
Hawes MC, Pueppke SG (1986) Sloughed peripheral root cap cells: yield from different species and callus formation from single cells. Am J Bot 73:1466–1473
Hawes MC, Brigham LA, Wen F, Woo HH, Zhu Y (1998) Function of root border cells in plant health: pioneers in the rhizoshpere. Annu Rev Phytopathol 36:311–327
Hawes MC, Gunawardena U, Miyasaka S, Zhao X (2000) The role of root border cells in plant defense. Trends Plant Sci 5:128–133
Hawes MC, Bengough G, Cassab G, Ponce G (2003) Root caps and rhizosphere. J Plant Growth Regul 21:352–367
Kochian LV (1995) Cellular mechanisms of aluminium toxin and resistance in plants. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 46:237–260
Ma JF, Ryan PR, Delhaize E (2001) Aluminium tolerance in plants and the complex role of organic acids. Trends Plant Sci 1:273–278
Ma BJ, Pan JW, Fu ZJ (2005) Development and influencing factors of soybean root border cell. Acta Agron Sin 31(2):165–169
Matsumoto H (2000) Cell biology of aluminium toxicity and tolerance in higher plants. Int Rev Cytol 200:1–46
Miyasaka SC, Hawes MC (2001) Possible role of root border cells in detection and avoidance of aluminium toxicity. Plant Physiol 125:1978–1987
Pan JW, Zhu MY, Chen H (2001) Aluminium induced cell death in root tips of barley. Environ Exp Bot 46:71–79
Pan JW, Zhu MY, Chen H, Han N (2002a) Inhibition of cell growth caused by aluminium toxicity results from aluminium induced cell death in barley suspension cells. J Plant Nutr 25(5):1063–1073
Pan JW, Zhu MY, Peng ZH, Wang LL (2002b) Development regulation and biological functions of root border cells in higher plants. Acta Bot Sin 44(1):1–8
Pan JW, Ye D, Wang LL, Hua J, Zhao GF, Pan WH, Han N, Zhu MY (2004) Root border cell development is a temperature-insensitive and Al-sensitive process in barley. Plant Cell Physiol 45:751–760
Richard L, Qin LX, Gadal P (1994) Molecular cloning and characterization of a putative pectin methylesterase cDNA in Arabiodopsis thaliana L. FEBS Lett 355:135–139
Rogers HT, Pearson RW, Pierre WH (1942) The source and phosphatase activity of exoenzyme systems of corn and tomato roots. Soil Sci 54:353–365
Samac DA, Tesfaye M (2003) Plant improvement for tolerance to aluminium in acid soils—a review. Plant Cell Tissue Organ Cult 75:189–207
Stephenson MB, Hawes MC (1994) Correlation of pectinmethylesterase activity in root caps of pea with root border cell separation. Plant Physiol 106:739–745
Tamás L, Budíková S, Huttová J, Mistrík I, Śimomvićová M, Śirocká B (2005) Aluminium-induced cell death of barley-root border cells is correlated with peroxidase- and oxalate oxidase-mediated hydrogen peroxide production. Plant Cell Rep 24:189–194
Weather PJ, Kim YJ (2001) Transformed roots of Artemisia annua exhibit an usual pattern of border cell release. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Plant 37:440–445
Zhao X, Misaghi IJ, Hawes MC (2000) Stimulation of border cell production in response to increased carbon dioxide levels. Plant Physiol 122:181–188
Zhou N, Chen WR, Liu P, Xu GD, Cai MZ (2006) Biological characteristic and the response to aluminium toxicity of cucumber border cells. Acta Hort Sin 33:1117–1120
Zhu Y, Wen F, Zhao X, Hawes MC (2004) Isolation of the promoter of a root cap expressed pectin methylesterase gene from Pisum sativum L. (rcpme1) and its use in the study of gene activity. Plant Soil 265:47–59
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge Stephanie Larrick from University of Florida to help with the English expression. This work was supported by Natural Science Foundation of China (Project No: 30540056) and Zhejiang Province (Project No: 304185, 303461).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by A. Tukiendorf.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chen, W., Liu, P., Xu, G. et al. Effects of Al3+ on the biological characteristics of cowpea root border cells. Acta Physiol Plant 30, 303–308 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-007-0121-7
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-007-0121-7