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Pear plantlets cultured ‘in vitro’ under lime-induced chlorosis display a better adaptive strategy than quince plantlets

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Abstract

In many fruit trees species lime-induced chlorosis causes serious economic damage. In the last few years, the in vitro culture technique has been applied to test rootstocks for susceptibility to iron chlorosis and to study biochemical and molecular aspects of the syndrome. In this study in vitro shoot cultivation of quince rootstocks MA, BA29 and pear cv. ‘Conference’ was used to unravel the relationship between iron deficiency, presence of bicarbonate, and growth development and chloroplast pigment behaviour. Stresses were obtained by using MS medium supplemented with various concentrations of FeNaEDTA and/or KHCO3. Substrate pH, shoot growth and development parameters, total leaf iron and photosynthetic pigment contents of plantlets were independently determined after 24 days of culture. The medium was acidified by the species under all stress conditions. Iron deficiency and bicarbonate condition led to different growth patterns and modular development among the genotypes. This reflects a different sensitivity and plastic adaptation to the elements of this stress. Iron concentration in leaves and the shoot apex of plantlets decreased in all genotypes. However, chloroplast pigments only decreased in quince plantlets under iron deficiency and bicarbonate condition while they did not change in pear plantlets. Our results demonstrate firstly that a plantlet without a root system, which is cultivated in vitro, is able to sense iron deficiency and bicarbonate enriched conditions and, consequently, activates biochemical and physiological responses. Secondly, acidification appears to be related to iron concentration in tissues of quince rootstocks and pear cultivar. Finally, chloroplast biochemical elements are strongly and differently regulated under both stress conditions and between genotypes.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by “Meccanismi biochimici e molecolari coinvolti nell’acquisizione e nel trasporto del ferro in piante arboree da frutto“ PRIN Project grant by the Italian Ministry of Instruction, University and Research, Italy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Chimica e Biotecnologie Agrarie, Pisa University, Via del Borghetto 80, Pisa, 56124, Italy

    Silvia Donnini & Annamaria Ranieri

  2. Dipartimento di Coltivazione e Difesa delle Specie Legnose “G. Scaramuzzi”, Pisa University, Via del Borghetto 80, Pisa, 56124, Italy

    Fabrizio Cinelli & Luca Sensale

  3. Dipartimento di Produzione Vegetale, Tuscia University, Via S. C. DeLellis s.n.c, Viterbo, 01100, Italy

    Rosario Muleo

  4. Dipartimento di Produzione Vegetale, Milan University, Via Celoria 2, Milano, 20133, Italy

    Silvia Donnini & Graziano Zocchi

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  1. Silvia Donnini
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  2. Fabrizio Cinelli
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  3. Luca Sensale
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  4. Rosario Muleo
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  6. Annamaria Ranieri
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Correspondence to Rosario Muleo.

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Donnini, S., Cinelli, F., Sensale, L. et al. Pear plantlets cultured ‘in vitro’ under lime-induced chlorosis display a better adaptive strategy than quince plantlets. Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 93, 191–200 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-008-9361-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-008-9361-5

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