The interaction of strigolactones with abscisic acid during the drought response in rice

Published online: 10 March 2018; Open Access ArticleBoth strigolactones (SLs) and abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthetically originate from carotenoids. Considering their common origin, the interaction of these two hormones at the biosynthetic and/or regulatory level may be anticipated. Here we show that, in rice, drought simultaneously induces SL production in the root, and ABA production and the expression of SL biosynthetic genes in the shoot. Under control conditions, the ABA concentration was higher in shoots of the SL biosynthetic rice mutants dwarf10 (d10) and d17 than in wild-type plants, while a similar trend was observed for the SL perception mutant d3. These differences were enhanced under drought. However, drought did not result in an increase in leaf ABA content in the rice mutant line d27, carrying a mutation in the gene encoding the first committed enzyme in SL biosynthesis, to the same extent as in the other SL mutants and the wild type. Accordingly, d10, d17, and d3 lines were more drought tolerant than wild-type plants, whereas d27 displayed decreased tolerance. Finally, overexpression of OsD27 in rice resulted in increased levels of ABA when compared with wild-type plants. We conclude that the SL and ABA pathways are connected with each other through D27, which plays a crucial role in determining ABA and SL content in rice

How reproducible are surface areas calculated from the BET equation?

Porosity and surface area analysis play a prominent role in modern materials science. At the heart of this sits the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) theory, which has been a remarkably successful contribution to the field of materials science. The BET method was developed in the 1930s for open surfaces but is now the most widely used metric for the estimation of surface areas of micro- and mesoporous materials. Despite its widespread use, the calculation of BET surface areas causes a spread in reported areas, resulting in reproducibility problems in both academia and industry. To prove this, for this analysis, 18 already-measured raw adsorption isotherms were provided to sixty-one labs, who were asked to calculate the corresponding BET areas. This round-robin exercise resulted in a wide range of values. Here, the reproducibility of BET area determination from identical isotherms is demonstrated to be a largely ignored issue, raising critical concerns over the reliability of reported BET areas. To solve this major issue, a new computational approach to accurately and systematically determine the BET area of nanoporous materials is developed. The software, called "BET surface identification" (BETSI), expands on the well-known Rouquerol criteria and makes an unambiguous BET area assignment possible

Bodemweerbaarheid verhogen: de rol van organische stof toevoegingen en het microbioom in de bodem.

De landbouwsector kan efficiënter en duurzamer worden als schone organische reststoffen - van compost tot verenmeel - aan de bodem worden toegevoegd. Er zijn dan namelijk minder voedingsstoffen via kunstmest nodig. Maar het gebruik van organische materialen heeft meer voordelen: ze zijn een bron van voedsel voor het bodemleven en nuttige micro-organismen in de bodem kunnen de bodem weerbaarder maken tegen bepaalde ziekteverwekkers in gewassen. Dit vermindert de afhankelijkheid en het gebruik van chemische bestrijdingsmiddelen

Bodemweerbaarheid verhogen: de rol van organische stof toevoegingen en het microbioom in de bodem.

De landbouwsector kan efficiënter en duurzamer worden als schone organische reststoffen - van compost tot verenmeel - aan de bodem worden toegevoegd. Er zijn dan namelijk minder voedingsstoffen via kunstmest nodig. Maar het gebruik van organische materialen heeft meer voordelen: ze zijn een bron van voedsel voor het bodemleven en nuttige micro-organismen in de bodem kunnen de bodem weerbaarder maken tegen bepaalde ziekteverwekkers in gewassen. Dit vermindert de afhankelijkheid en het gebruik van chemische bestrijdingsmiddelen

Ecological relevance of strigolactones in nutrient uptake and other abiotic stresses, and in plant-microbe interactions below ground

Background Plants are exposed to ever changing and often unfavourable environmental conditions, which cause both abiotic and biotic stresses. They have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to flexibly adapt themselves to these stress conditions. To achieve such adaptation, they need to control and coordinate physiological, developmental and defence responses. These responses are regulated through a complex network of interconnected signalling pathways, in which plant hormones play a key role. Strigolactones (SLs) are multifunctional molecules recently classified as a new class of phytohormones, playing a key role as modulators of the coordinated plant development in response to nutrient deficient conditions, especially phosphorus shortage. Belowground, besides regulating root architecture, they also act as molecular cues that help plants to communicate with their environment. Scope This review discusses current knowledge on the different roles of SLs below-ground, paying special attention to their involvement in phosphorus uptake by the plant by regulating root architecture and the establishment of mutualistic symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Their involvement in plant responses to other abiotic stresses such as drought and salinity, as well as in other plant-(micro)organisms interactions such as nodulation and root parasitic plants are also highlighted. Finally, the agronomical implications of SLs below-ground and their potential use in sustainable agriculture are addressed. Conclusions Experimental evidence illustrates the biological and ecological importance of SLs in the rhizosphere. Their multifunctional nature opens up a wide range of possibilities for potential applications in agriculture. However, a more in-depth understanding on the SL functioning/signalling mechanisms is required to allow us to exploit their full potential

The interaction of strigolactones with abscisic acid during the drought response in rice

Both strigolactones (SLs) and abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthetically originate from carotenoids. Considering their common origin, the interaction of these two hormones at the biosynthetic and/or regulatory level may be anticipated. Here we show that, in rice, drought simultaneously induces SL production in the root, and ABA production and the expression of SL biosynthetic genes in the shoot. Under control conditions, the ABA concentration was higher in shoots of the SL biosynthetic rice mutants dwarf10 (d10) and d17 than in wild-type plants, while a similar trend was observed for the SL perception mutant d3. These differences were enhanced under drought. However, drought did not result in an increase in leaf ABA content in the rice mutant line d27, carrying a mutation in the gene encoding the first committed enzyme in SL biosynthesis, to the same extent as in the other SL mutants and the wild type. Accordingly, d10, d17, and d3 lines were more drought tolerant than wild-type plants, whereas d27 displayed decreased tolerance. Finally, overexpression of OsD27 in rice resulted in increased levels of ABA when compared with wild-type plants. We conclude that the SL and ABA pathways are connected with each other through D27, which plays a crucial role in determining ABA and SL content in rice