Abstract
Two cDNA clones, pIIG1 and pIIG2, corresponding to mRNAs that accumulate in maize root tips subjected to 10 min of physical impedance, were isolated by differential screening of a cDNA library. The deduced proteins, based on DNA sequence analysis, have molecular masses of 13 and 23 kDa for pIIG1 and pIIG2, respectively. pIIG1 showed 97% similarity at the nucleic acid level to a maize root cortical cell delineating protein (pZRP3) and was also similar to some bimodular proteins that are developmentally or stress regulated in other plant species. In situ localization of pIIG1 showed some expression in cortical cells of control maize roots; however, after a 10 min physical impedance treatment, pIIG1 accumulation increased greatly in cortical cells and extended to include the procambial region. pIIG2 did not show sequence similarity with any identified gene of known function, but a bipartite nuclear targeting sequence occurs in its deduced amino acid sequence which indicates it may function in the nucleus. Thus, rapid accumulation of specific mRNAs occurs in maize roots in response to impedance stress, and these mRNAs may be responsible for some responses of the roots to physical impedance.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abeles FB, Morgan PW, Saltveit Jr ME: Ethylene in Plant Biology, 2nd ed. Academic Press, San Diego, CA (1992).
Atwell BJ: The effect of soil compaction on wheat during early tillering I. Growth, development and root structure. New Phytol 115: 29–35 (1990).
Ausubel FM, Brent R, Kingston RE, Moore DD, Smith JA, Seidman JG, Struhl K: Current Protrocols in Molecular Biology. Greene/Wiley-Interscience, New York (1989).
Aleith F, Richter G: Gene expression during induction of somatic embryogenesis in carrot cell suspensions. Planta 183: 17–24 (1990).
deAlmeida Engler J, Montagu MV, Engler G: Hybridization in situ of whole-mount messager RNA in plants. Plant Mol Biol Rep 12: 321–331 (1994).
Beyer Jr EM: Silver ion: a potent antiethylene agent in cucumber and tomato. HortScience 11: 195–196 (1976).
Braam J: Regulated expression of the calmodulin-related TCH genes in cultured Arabidopsis cells: Induction by calcium and heat shock. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 89: 3213–3216 (1992).
Braam J, Davis R: Rain-, wind-, and touch-induced expression of calmodulin and calmodulin-related genes in Arabidopsis. Cell 60: 357–364 (1990).
Castonguay Y, Laberge S, Nadeau P, Vezina LP: A coldinduced gene from Medicago sativa encodes a bimodular protein similar to developmentally regulated proteins. Plant Mol Biol 24: 799–804 (1994).
Chang S, Puryear J, Cairney J: A simple and efficient method for isolating RNA from pine trees. Plant Mol Biol Rep 11: 113–116 (1993).
Dingwall C, Laskey RA: Protein import into the cell nucleus. Annu Rev Cell Biol 2: 367–390 (1986).
Drew MC, He C-J, Morgan PW: Decreased ethylene biosynthesis, and induction of aerenchyma, by nitrogen-or phosphate-starvation in adventitious roots of Zea mays L. Plant Physiol 91: 266–271 (1989).
Drew MC, Jackson MB, Gifford S: Ethylene-promoted adventitious rooting and development of cortical air spaces (aerenchyma) in roots may be adaptive responses to flooding in Zea mays L. Planta 147: 83–88 (1979).
Feldman LJ: Regulation of root development. Annu Rev Plant Physiol 35: 223–242 (1984).
Fujita T, Kouchi H, Ichikawa T, Syone K: Cloning of cDNAs for genes that are specifically or preferentially expressed during the development of tobacco genetic tumors. Plant J 5: 645–654 (1994).
Garcia-Bustos J, Heitman J, Hall MN: Nuclear protein localization. Biochim Biophys Acta 1071: 217–219 (1991).
Gómez-Márquez J, Segade F: Prothymosin α is a nuclear protein. FEBS Lett. 226: 217–219 (1988).
Goss MJ, Russell RS: Effects of mechanical impedance on root growth in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). III. Observations on the mechanism of response. J Exp Bot 31: 577–588 (1980).
Gubler U, Hoffman BJ: A simple and very efficient method for generating complementary DNA libraries. Gene 25: 263–270 (1983).
He C-J, Finlayson SA, Drew MC, Jordan WR, Morgan PW: Ethylene biosynthesis during aerenchyma formation in roots of maize subjected to mechanical impedance and hypoxia. Plant Physiol 112: 1679–1685 (1996).
He C-J, Morgan PW, Drew MC: Enchanced sensitivity to ethylene in nitrogen-or phosphate-starved roots of Zea mays L. during aerenchyma formation. Plant Physiol 98: 137–142 (1992).
Huang Y-F: Gene expression in physically impeded maize roots. M.S. Thesis, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX (1996).
Jaffe M: Thigmomorphogenesis: The response of plant growth and development to mechanical stimulation. Planta 114: 143–157 (1973).
John I, Wang H, Held BM, Wurtele ES, Colbert JT: An mRNA that specifically accumulates in maize roots delineates a novel subset of developing cortical cells. Plant Mol Biol 20: 821–831 (1992).
Kays SJ, Nicklow CW, Simons DH: Ethylene in relation to the response of roots to physical impedance. Plant Soil 40: 565–571 (1974).
Krul WR: Enhancement and repression of somatic embryogenesis in cell cultures of carrot by cold pretreatment of stock plants. Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 32: 271–276 (1993).
Lachno DR, Harrison-Murray RS, Audus LJ: The effects of mechanical impedance to growth on the levels of ABA and IAA in root tips of Zea mays L. J Exp Bot 33: 943–951 (1982).
Maniatis T, Frisch EF, Sambrook J: Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, pp. 270–271. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Srping Harbor, NY (1982).
Materechera SA, Alston AM, Kirby M, Dexter AR: Field evaluation of laboratory techniques for predicting the ability of roots to penetrate strong soil and of the influence of roots on water sorptivity. Plant Soil 149: 149–158 (1993).
Mitchell CA: Recent advances in plant stress response to mechanical stress: Theory and application. HortScience 31: 31–35 (1996).
Mitchell C, Severson C, Wott J, Hammer P: Seismomorphogenic regulation of plant growth. J Am Soc Hort Sci 100: 161–165 (1975).
Richards KD, Gardner RC: Genes induced by aluminum in Arabidopsis thaliana. Unpublished GenBank Accession number L 43080 (1995).
Sarquis JI, Jordan WR, Morgan PW: Ethylene evolution from maize (Zea mays L.) seedling roots and shoots in response to mechanical impedance. Plant Physiol 96: 1171–1177 (1991).
Shah DM, Hightower RC, Meagher RB: Complete nucleotide sequence of a soybean actin gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 79: 1022–1026 (1982).
Voorhees WB: Wheel-induced soil physical limitations to root growth. Adv Soil Sci 19: 73–95 (1992).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Huang, YF., Jordan, W.R., Wing, R.A. et al. Gene expression induced by physical impedance in maize roots. Plant Mol Biol 37, 921–930 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006034411529
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006034411529