Auxin and Cytokinin Metabolism and Root Morphological Modifications in Arabidopsis thaliana Seedlings Infected with Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) or Exposed to Cadmium

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Antonella Vitti¹  Maria Nuzzaci¹  Antonio Scopa¹  Giuseppe Tataranni¹  Tony Remans²  Jaco Vangronsveld² 

[1] School of Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Basilicata, Viale dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, I-85100 Potenza, Italy; E-Mails:;Environmental Biology Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan, building D, B-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium; E-Mails:

关键词: abiotic stresses;    Arabidopsis thaliana;    biotic stresses;    cadmium;    Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV);   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijms14046889

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Arabidopsis thaliana L. is a model plant but little information is available about morphological root changes as part of a phytohormonal common response against both biotic and abiotic stressors. For this purpose, two-week-old Arabidopsis seedlings were treated with 10 μM CdSO₄ or infected with CMV. After 12 days the entire aerial parts and the root system were analyzed, and the presence of CMV or the accumulation of Cd were detected. Microscopic analysis revealed that both CMV and Cd influenced root morphology by a marked development in the length of root hairs and an intense root branching if compared to controls. Among the three treatments, Cd-treated seedlings showed a shorter root axis length and doubled their lateral root diameter, while the lateral roots of CMV-infected seedlings were the longest. The root growth patterns were accompanied by significant changes in the levels of indole-3-acetic acid, trans-zeatin riboside, dihydrozeatin riboside, as a probable consequence of the regulation of some genes involved in their biosynthesis/degradation. The opposite role on root development played by the phythormones studied is discussed in detail. The results obtained could provide insights into novel strategies for plant defense against pathogens and plant protection against pollutants.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2013 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland