Tomato Root Penetration in Soil Requires a Coaction between Ethylene and Auxin Signaling

During seed germination, emerging roots display positive gravitropism and penetrate into the soil for nutrition and anchorage. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) seeds germinated in the presence of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), an inhibitor of ethylene action, failed to insert roots into Soilrite and gre...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Plant physiology (Bethesda) 2011-07, Vol.156 (3), p.1424-1438
Main Authors: Santisree, Parankusam, Nongmaithem, Sapana, Vasuki, Himabindu, Sreelakshmi, Yellamaraju, Ivanchenko, Maria G., Sharma, Rameshwar
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Auxins
Biological and medical sciences
Biological Transport - drug effects
Cyclopropanes - pharmacology
DEVELOPMENT AND HORMONE ACTION
Ethylenes - metabolism
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gene expression regulation
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant - drug effects
Genes, Plant - genetics
Gravitropism - drug effects
Hypocotyls
Indoleacetic Acids - metabolism
Lycopersicon esculentum - drug effects
Lycopersicon esculentum - growth & development
Mechanotransduction, Cellular - drug effects
Mechanotransduction, Cellular - genetics
Meristem - drug effects
Meristem - metabolism
Mutation - genetics
Plant growth regulators
Plant physiology and development
Plant roots
Plant Roots - drug effects
Plant Roots - growth & development
Plants
Receptors
Root growth
Root tips
Seedlings
Seedlings - drug effects
Seedlings - growth & development
Signal Transduction - drug effects
Soil
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Summary:During seed germination, emerging roots display positive gravitropism and penetrate into the soil for nutrition and anchorage. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) seeds germinated in the presence of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), an inhibitor of ethylene action, failed to insert roots into Soilrite and grew in the air, forming loops. Time-lapse video imaging showed that 1-MCP-grown root tips retained positive gravitropism and made contact with the surface of Soilrite but failed to penetrate into the Soilrite. Time-course studies revealed that the effect of 1-MCP was most prominent when seed imbibition and germination were carried out in the continual presence of 1-MCP. Conversely, 1-MCP was ineffective when applied postgermination after penetration of roots in the Soilrite. Furthermore, treatment with 1-MCP caused a reduction in DRS::β-glucuronidase auxin-reporter activity and modified the expression of SIIAA3 and SIIAA9 transcripts, indicating interference with auxin signaling. The reduced ethylene perception mutant, Never-ripe, displayed decreased ability for root penetration, and the enhanced polar auxin transport mutant, polycotyledon, showed a nearly normal root penetration in the presence of 1-MCP, which could be reversed by application of auxin transport inhibitors. Our results indicate that during tomato seed germination, a coaction between ethylene and auxin is required for root penetration into the soil.
ISSN:0032-0889
1532-2548
1532-2548
DOI:10.1104/pp.111.177014