371 research outputs found
Quantification of aluminum-induced changes in wheat root architecture by X-ray microcomputed tomography
Root architectural traits are of fundamental importance for plant performance, especially under unfavorable soil conditions. This study examined the effect of aluminum (Al) toxicity in different growing media (nutrient solutions and soil) on root architecture of two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars with different Al tolerances. Seedlings were grown in acidic and limed soil and in two contrasting nutrient solutions. Root systems of soil-grown plants were scanned using x-ray microcomputed tomography (µCT) while that of nutrient solution–grown plants were assesses using WinRhizo, 3 and 5 days after planting (DAP), respectively. Aluminum caused significant reduction of all examined root traits (number of seminal roots, root length, length of the longest seminal root, root surface area, and root volume). Growth in acidic soil caused significant reduction in root length, length of the longest seminal root, and root surface area at 5 DAP. Soil-grown plants produced a larger root system compared to plants grown in nutrient solutions. Aluminum toxicity–induced differences of root traits were also found between different nutrient solutions. Beside the well-known reduction of root length, Al toxicity had a profound effect on other root architectural traits. X-ray µCT has revealed root architectural changes under specific conditions of acidic, Al-toxic soil. Differences obtained in Al-induced effects on root architecture between different nutrient solutions as well as between different growing systems emphasize the need for further study of root architecture, especially under specific conditions of Al toxicity in acidic soils
Star-forming galaxies versus low- and high-excitation radio AGN in the VLA-COSMOS 3GHz Large Project
We study the composition of the faint radio population selected from the
VLA-COSMOS 3GHz Large Project, a radio continuum survey performed at 10 cm
wavelength. The survey covers the full 2 square degree COSMOS field with mean
Jy/beam, cataloging 10,899 source components above . By combining these radio data with UltraVISTA, optical, near-infrared,
and Spitzer/IRAC mid-infrared data, as well as X-ray data from the Chandra
Legacy, and Chandra COSMOS surveys, we gain insight into the emission
mechanisms within our radio sources out to redshifts of . From these
emission characteristics we classify our souces as star forming galaxies or
AGN. Using their multi-wavelength properties we further separate the AGN into
sub-samples dominated by radiatively efficient and inefficient AGN, often
referred to as high- and low-excitation emission line AGN. We compare our
method with other results based on fitting of the sources' spectral energy
distributions using both galaxy and AGN spectral models, and those based on the
infrared-radio correlation. We study the fractional contributions of these
sub-populations down to radio flux levels of 10 Jy. We find that at
3 GHz flux densities above 400 Jy quiescent, red galaxies,
consistent with the low-excitation radio AGN class constitute the dominant
fraction. Below densities of 200 Jy star-forming galaxies begin to
constitute the largest fraction, followed by the low-excitation, and X-ray- and
IR-identified high-excitation radio AGN.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, The many facets of extragalactic radio surveys:
towards new scientific challenges, Bologna 20-23 October 201
MicroRNA399 is a long-distance signal for the regulation of plant phosphate homeostasis
The presence of microRNA species in plant phloem sap suggests potential signaling roles by long-distance regulation of gene expression. Proof for such a role for a phloem-mobile microRNA is lacking. Here we show that phosphate (Pi) starvation-induced microRNA399 (miR399) is present in the phloem sap of two diverse plant species, rapeseed and pumpkin, and levels are strongly and specifically increased in phloem sap during Pi deprivation. By performing micro-grafting experiments using Arabidopsis, we further show that chimeric plants constitutively over-expressing miR399 in the shoot accumulate mature miR399 species to very high levels in their wild-type roots, while corresponding primary transcripts are virtually absent in roots, demonstrating shoot-to-root transport. The chimeric plants exhibit (i) down-regulation of the miR399 target transcript (PHO2), which encodes a critical component for maintenance of Pi homeostasis, in the wild-type root, and (ii) Pi accumulation in the shoot, which is the phenotype of pho2 mutants, miR399 over-expressers or chimeric plants with a genetic knock-out of PHO2 in the root. Hence the transported miR399 molecules retain biological activity. This is a demonstration of systemic control of a biological process, i.e. maintenance of plant Pi homeostasis, by a phloem-mobile microRNA
The VLA-COSMOS 3 GHz Large Project: Average radio spectral energy distribution of active galactic nuclei
As the SKA is expected to be operational in the next decade, investigations
of the radio sky in the range of 100 MHz to 10 GHz have become important for
simulations of the SKA observations. In determining physical properties of
galaxies from radio data, the radio SED is often assumed to be described by a
simple power law, usually with a spectral index of 0.7 for all sources. Even
though radio SEDs have been shown to exhibit deviations from this assumption,
both in differing spectral indices and complex spectral shapes, it is often
presumed that their individual differences cancel out in large samples. We
constructed the average radio SED of radio-excess active galactic nuclei
(RxAGN), defined as those that exhibit a 3 radio luminosity excess
with respect to the value expected only from contribution from star formation,
out to z~4. We combined VLA observations of the COSMOS field at 1.4 GHz and 3
GHz with GMRT observations at 325 MHz and 610 MHz. To account for nondetections
in the GMRT maps, we employed the survival analysis technique. We selected a
sample of RxAGN out to z~4. We find that a sample of RxAGN can be described by
a spectral index of below the break frequency
GHz and above, while a simple
power-law model yields a single spectral index of . By
binning in 1.4 GHz radio luminosity and redshift, we find that the power-law
spectral index, as well as broken power-law spectral indices, may increase for
larger source sizes, while the power-law spectral index and lower-frequency (<4
GHz) broken power-law spectral index are additionally positively correlated
with redshift.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figure
Average radio spectral energy distribution of highly star-forming galaxies
The infrared-radio correlation (IRRC) offers a way to assess star formation from radio emission. Multiple studies found the IRRC to decrease with increasing redshift. This may in part be due to the lack of knowledge about the possible radio spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of star-forming galaxies. We constrain the radio SED of a complete sample of highly star-forming galaxies (SFR > 100 M?/ yr) based on the VLA-COSMOS 1.4 GHz Joint and 3 GHz Large Project catalogs. We reduce archival GMRT 325 MHz and 610 MHz observations, broadening the rest-frame frequency range to 0.3-15 GHz. Employing survival analysis and fitting a double power law SED, we find that the slope steepens from a spectral index of a1 = 0.51±0.04 below 4.5 GHz to a2 = 0.98±0.07 above 4.5 GHz. Our results suggest that the use of a K-correction assuming a single power-law radio SED for star forming galaxies is likely not the root cause of the IRRC trend
Exploring AGN Activity over cosmic time with the SKA
In this Chapter we present the motivation for undertaking both a wide and deep survey with the SKA in the context of studying AGN activity across cosmic time. With an rms down to 1 µJy/beam at 1 GHz over 1,000 - 5,000 deg2 in 1 year (wide tier band 1/2) and an rms down to 200 nJy/beam over 10 - 30 deg2 in 2000 hours (deep tier band 1/2), these surveys will directly detect faint radio-loud and radio-quiet AGN (down to a 1 GHz radio luminosity of about 2×1023 W/Hz at z = 6). For the first time, this will enable us to conduct detailed studies of the cosmic evolution of radio AGN activity to the cosmic dawn (z ? 6), covering all environmental densities
The VLA-COSMOS 3 GHz Large Project: Average radio spectral energy distribution of highly star-forming galaxies
We construct the average radio spectral energy distribution (SED) of highly star-forming galaxies (HSFGs) up to z ~ 4. Infrared and radio luminosities are bound by a tight correlation that is defined by the so-called q parameter. This infrared-radio correlation provides the basis for the use of radio luminosity as a star-formation tracer. Recent stacking and survival analysis studies find q to be decreasing with increasing redshift. It was pointed out that a possible cause of the redshift trend could be the computation of rest-frame radio luminosity via a single power-law assumption of the star-forming galaxies' (SFGs) SED. To test this, we constrained the shape of the radio SED of a sample of HSFGs. To achieve a broad rest-frame frequency range, we combined previously published Very Large Array observations of the COSMOS field at 1:4 GHz and 3 GHz with unpublished Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT) observations at 325MHz and 610MHz by employing survival analysis to account for non-detections in the GMRT maps. We selected a sample of HSFGs in a broad redshift range (z ? [0:3; 4]; SFR = 100 M yr-1) and constructed the average radio SED. By fitting a broken power-law, we find that the spectral index changes from a1 = 0:42-0:06 below a rest-frame frequency of 4:3 GHz to a2 = 0:94 ± 0:06 above 4:3 GHz. Our results are in line with previous low-redshift studies of HSFGs ( SFR > 10 M yr-1) that show the SED of HSFGs to differ from the SED found for normal SFGs ( SFR < 10 M yr-1). The difference is mainly in a steeper spectrum around 10 GHz, which could indicate a smaller fraction of thermal free-free emission. Finally, we also discuss the impact of applying this broken power-law SED in place of a simple power-law in K-corrections of HSFGs and a typical radio SED for normal SFGs drawn from the literature. We find that the shape of the radio SED is unlikely to be the root cause of the q-z trend in SFGs
The varied functions of aluminium-activated malate transporters–much more than aluminium resistance
The ALMT (aluminium-activated malate transporter) family comprises a functionally diverse but structurally similar group of ion channels. They are found ubiquitously in plant species, expressed throughout different tissues, and located in either the plasma membrane or tonoplast. The first family member identified was TaALMT1, discovered in wheat root tips, which was found to be involved in aluminium resistance by means of malate exudation into the soil. However, since this discovery other family members have been shown to have many other functions such as roles in stomatal opening, general anionic homoeostasis, and in economically valuable traits such as fruit flavour. Recent evidence has also shown that ALMT proteins can act as key molecular actors in GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) signalling, the first evidence that GABA can act as a signal transducer in plants
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