Abstract
To study magnetoreception of Arabidopsis thaliana, we analysed several developmental responses including cryptochrome-independent seed germination and the phytochrome- and cryptochrome-dependent hypocotyl elongation and photo-accumulation of anthocyanins and chlorophylls in weak static magnetic fields ranging from near null to 122 μT. A field of 50 μT accelerated seed germination by about 20 h relative to samples maintained in a near-null field. The double mutant, cry1cry2, lacking cryptochromes 1 and 2 displayed the same magnetic field–induced germination acceleration under blue light as the wild-type strain. Magnetic field–induced germination acceleration was masked in the presence of exogenous sucrose. Stimulus–response curves for hypocotyl elongation in a range between near-null to 122 μT indicated maxima near 9 and 60 μT for the wild-type strain as well as mutant cry1cry2. The photo-accumulation of anthocyanins and chlorophylls could be effectively modulated by magnetic fields in the presence of low-irradiance red and blue light, respectively. The findings indicate that Arabidopsis thaliana possesses light-independent mechanisms of magnetic field reception, which remain presently unidentified. Our results are in better agreement with predictions of the level crossing mechanism (LCM) of magnetoreception rather than those of the cryptochrome-associated radical-pair mechanism (RPM).
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Abbreviations
- CRY:
-
Cryptochrome
- FAD:
-
Flavin adenine dinucleotide
- LCM:
-
Level crossing mechanism
- MF:
-
Magnetic field
- MS:
-
Murashige-Skoog growth medium
- RP:
-
Radical pair
- RPM:
-
Radical-pair mechanism
- PHOT:
-
Phototropin
- PHY:
-
Phytochrome
- SUT:
-
Sucrose transporter
- TRP:
-
Tryptophan
- WT:
-
Wild type
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Acknowledgements
We thank Prof. Vladimir N. Binhi for many helpful suggestions. The authors are grateful for the excellent technical assistance of M. Göttig and S. Völk and the continued support of our electronic and mechanical machine shops.
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This study was supported by grants from DLR (German Space Agency/BMWi 50WB1025 and 50WB1325) to PG.
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Dhiman, S.K., Wu, F. & Galland, P. Effects of weak static magnetic fields on the development of seedlings of Arabidopsis thaliana. Protoplasma 260, 767–786 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-022-01811-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-022-01811-9