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Mechanosensing is involved in the regulation of autostress levels in tension wood

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Abstract

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The level of stresses of tension wood changes during the gravitropic movement. These changes are induced by the perception of strains experienced by the tree during reorientation to the upright position.

Abstract

In most hardwood species, tension wood is produced to ensure tropic movements in radially growing organs. Tension wood exhibits internal tensional forces (autostresses) greater than those of normal wood, which enable the trunk to restore its verticality. During the gravitropic response, there is a first phase when the trunk curves upwards and a second phase when the trunk decurves to reach a final vertical and straight shape. Tension wood appears to be of varying strength, but the source of these variations remains partly undefined. We set out to assess the involvement of mechanosensing in the regulation of the strength of tension wood. Autostress levels characterise the strength of tension wood and can be indirectly estimated by measuring the associated residual longitudinal maturation strains (rlms) after the autostresses release. The higher the tension, the higher the measured associated shrinkage. To look for the involvement of mechanosensing in the regulation of tension wood strength, rlms were measured in different types of experiments in which the trunk mechanical state was modified. Results showed that (1) bigger trees exhibited higher levels of rlms, (2) there was a quantitative relationship between the rlms and the sum of strains experienced by the trunk, (3) artificial curving induced an increase in rlms and (4) in tilted staked trees, rlms increased towards negative values for 3 weeks and then remained constant. These findings are consistent evidence for the regulation of rlms values by mechanosensing. This brings new insight into gravitropism.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Stéphane Ploquin (UMR 547 PIAF, Clermont-Ferrand, France) for help with the measurements, Patrick Chaleil (UMR 547 PIAF, Clermont-Ferrand, France) for tree breeding, Dr. Hervé Cochard, Dr. Bruno Moulia (UMR 547 PIAF, Clermont-Ferrand, France) and Prof. Georges Jeronimidis (University of Reading, United Kingdom) for helpful comments on the manuscript, Dr. André Lacointe for his help with statistical analyses and Mrs Gail Wagman and ATT company for English corrections.

Conflict of interest

Authors declare to have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INRA, UMR 547 PIAF, 63100, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    C. Coutand & E. Badel

  2. Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, UMR 547 PIAF, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    C. Coutand & E. Badel

  3. LaBoMaP, Arts Et Metiers ParisTech, Rue Porte de Paris, 71250, Cluny, France

    G. Pot

Authors
  1. C. Coutand
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  2. G. Pot
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  3. E. Badel
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Correspondence to C. Coutand.

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Communicated by T. Fourcaud.

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Coutand, C., Pot, G. & Badel, E. Mechanosensing is involved in the regulation of autostress levels in tension wood. Trees 28, 687–697 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-014-0981-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-014-0981-6

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