447 research outputs found
Cytokinin Accumulation and an Altered Ethylene Response Mediate the Pleiotropic Phenotype of the Pea Nodulation Mutant R50 (\u3cem\u3esym16\u3c/em\u3e)
R50 (sym16), a pleiotropic mutant of Pisum sativum L., is short, has thickened internodes and roots, and has a reduced number of lateral roots and nodules. Its low nodule phenotype can be restored with the application of ethylene inhibitors; furthermore, it can be mimicked by applying cytokinins (CKs) to the roots of the parent line #8216;Sparkle’. Here, we report on the etiolation phenotypes of R50 and ‘Sparkle’, and on the interactive roles of ethylene and CKs in these lines. R50 displayed an altered etiolation phenotype, as it was shorter and thicker, and had more developed leaves than dark-grown ‘Sparkle’. Shoot morphological differences induced by exogenous ethylene or CKs were found to be less severe for R50. Ethylene inhibitor application induced root and shoot elongation and encouraged apical hook opening in both etiolated lines. Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry analysis indicated that CK concentrations in R50 were higher than in ‘Sparkle’, particularly in mature shoots where the levels were maintained at elevated concentrations. These differences indicate a reduction in the CK catabolism of R50. The accumulation of CKs can be directly related to several traits of R50, with the reduced number of nodules and altered shoot ethylene response being likely indirect effects
Spectral Properties of the Attractive Hubbard Model
Deviations from Fermi liquid behavior are well documented in the normal state
of the cuprate superconductors, and some of these differences are possibly
related to pre-formed pairs appearing at temperatures above T_c. In order to
test these ideas we have investigated the attractive Hubbard model within a
self-consistent, conserving ladder approximation. In this version of the
theory, no feature is present which can be related to the pseudo gap found in
the high-T_c materials. Further, the interactions between two-particle bound
states change the physics of the superconducting instability in a profound
fashion, and lead to a completely different phenomenology that one predicts
based on the non-self-consistent version of the same theory.Comment: 4 pages including 2 figures, to appear in the proceedings of the
SNS'9
E151 (sym15), A Pleiotropic Mutant of Pea (Pisum sativum L.), Displays Low Nodule Number, Enhanced Mycorrhizae, Delayed Lateral Root Emergence, and High Root Cytokinin Levels
In legumes, the formation of rhizobial and mycorrhizal root symbioses is a highly regulated process which requires close communication between plant and microorganism. Plant mutants that have difficulties establishing symbioses are valuable tools for unravelling the mechanisms by which these symbioses are formed and regulated. Here E151, a mutant of Pisum sativum cv. Sparkle, was examined to characterize its root growth and symbiotic defects. The symbioses in terms of colonization intensity, functionality of micro-symbionts, and organ dominance were compared between the mutant and wild type. The endogenous cytokinin (CK) and abscisic acid (ABA) levels and the effect of the exogenous application of these two hormones were determined. E151 was found to be a low and delayed nodulator, exhibiting defects in both the epidermal and cortical programmes though a few mature and functional nodules develop. Mycorrhizal colonization of E151 was intensified, although the fungal functionality was impaired. Furthermore, E151 displayed an altered lateral root (LR) phenotype compared with that of the wild type whereby LR emergence is initially delayed but eventually overcome. No differences in ABA levels were found between the mutant and the wild type, but non-inoculated E151 exhibited significantly high CK levels. It is hypothesized that CK plays an essential role in differentially mediating the entry of the two micro-symbionts into the cortex; whereas it would inhibit the entry of the rhizobia in that tissue, it would promote that of the fungus. E151 is a developmental mutant which may prove to be a useful tool in further understanding the role of hormones in the regulation of beneficial root symbioses
A Stimulatory Role for Cytokinin in the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis of Pea
The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis between terrestrial plants and AM fungi is regulated by plant hormones. For most of these, a role has been clearly assigned in this mutualistic interaction; however, there are still contradictory reports for cytokinin (CK). Here, pea plants, the wild type (WT) cv. Sparkle and its mutant E151 (Pssym15), were inoculated with the AM fungus Rhizophagus irregularis. E151 has previously been characterized as possessing high CK levels in non-mycorrhizal (myc-) roots and exhibiting high number of fungal structures in mycorrhizal (myc+) roots. Myc- and myc+ plants were treated 7, 9, and 11 days after inoculation (DAI) with synthetic compounds known to alter CK status. WT plants were treated with a synthetic CK [6-benzylaminopurine (BAP)] or the CK degradation inhibitor INCYDE, whereas E151 plants were treated with the CK receptor antagonist PI-55. At 13 DAI, plant CK content was analyzed by mass spectrometry. The effects of the synthetic compounds on AM colonization were assessed at 28 (WT) or 35 (E151) DAI via a modified magnified intersections method. The only noticeable difference seen between myc- and myc+ plants in terms of CK content was in the levels of nucleotides (NTs). Whereas WT plants responded to fungi by lowering their NT levels, E151 plants did not. Since NTs are thought to be converted into active CK forms, this result suggests that active CKs were synthesized more effectively in WT than in E151. In general, myc+ and myc- WT plants responded similarly to INCYDE by lowering significantly their NT levels and increasing slightly their active CK levels; these responses were less obvious in BAP-treated WT plants. In contrast, the response of E151 plants to PI-55 depended on the plant mycorrhizal status. Whereas treated myc- plants exhibited high NT and low active CK levels, treated myc+ plants displayed low levels of both NTs and active CKs. Moreover, treated WT plants were more colonized than treated E151 plants. We concluded that CKs have a stimulatory role in AM colonization because increased active CK levels were paralleled with increased AM colonization while decreased CK levels corresponded to reduced AM colonization
Effect of FET geometry on charge ordering of transition metal oxides
We examine the effect of an FET geometry on the charge ordering phase diagram
of transition metal oxides using numerical simulations of a semiclassical model
including long-range Coulomb fields, resulting in nanoscale pattern formation.
We find that the phase diagram is unchanged for insulating layers thicker than
approximately twice the magnetic correlation length. For very thin insulating
layers, the onset of a charge clump phase is shifted to lower values of the
strength of the magnetic dipolar interaction, and intermediate diagonal stripe
and geometric phases can be suppressed. Our results indicate that, for
sufficiently thick insulating layers, charge injection in an FET geometry can
be used to experimentally probe the intrinsic charge ordering phases in these
materials.Comment: 4 pages, 4 postscript figure
Effects of domain walls on hole motion in the two-dimensional t-J model at finite temperature
The t-J model on the square lattice, close to the t-J_z limit, is studied by
quantum Monte Carlo techniques at finite temperature and in the underdoped
regime. A variant of the Hoshen-Koppelman algorithm was implemented to identify
the antiferromagnetic domains on each Trotter slice. The results show that the
model presents at high enough temperature finite antiferromagnetic (AF) domains
which collapse at lower temperatures into a single ordered AF state. While
there are domains, holes would tend to preferentially move along the domain
walls. In this case, there are indications of hole pairing starting at a
relatively high temperature. At lower temperatures, when the whole system
becomes essentially fully AF ordered, at least in finite clusters, holes would
likely tend to move within phase separated regions. The crossover between both
states moves down in temperature as doping increases and/or as the off-diagonal
exchange increases. The possibility of hole motion along AF domain walls at
zero temperature in the fully isotropic t-J is discussed.Comment: final version, to appear in Physical Review
Direct Observation of a One Dimensional Static Spin Modulation in Insulating La1.95Sr0.05CuO4
We report the results of an extensive elastic neutron scattering study of the
incommensurate (IC) static spin correlations in La1.95Sr0.05CuO4 which is an
insulating spin glass at low temperatures. The present neutron scattering
experiments on the same x=0.05 crystal employ a narrower instrumental
Q-resolution and thereby have revealed that the crystal has only two
orthorhombic twins at low temperatures with relative populations of 2:1. We
find that, in a single twin, only two satellites are observed at (1, +/-0.064,
L)(ortho) and (0, 1+/-0.064, L)(ortho), that is, the modulation vector is only
along the orthorhombic b*-axis. This demonstrates unambiguously that
La1.95Sr0.05CuO4 has a one-dimensional static diagonal spin modulation at low
temperatures, consistent with certain stripe models. We have also reexamined
the x=0.04 crystal that previously was reported to show a single commensurate
peak. By mounting the sample in the (H, K, 0) zone, we have discovered that the
x=0.04 sample in fact has the same IC structure as the sample. The
incommensurability parameter d for x=0.04 and 0.05, where d is the distance
from (1/2, 1/2) in tetragonal reciprocal lattice units, follows the linear
relation d=x. These results demonstrate that the insulator to superconductor
transition in the under doped regime (0.05 </= x </= 0.06) in La2-xSrxCuO4 is
coincident with a transition from diagonal to collinear static stripes at low
temperatures thereby evincing the intimate coupling between the one dimensional
spin density modulation and the superconductivity.Comment: 9 pages 8 figure
Excitation of High-Spin States by Inelastic Proton Scattering
This work was supported by National Science Foundation Grant PHY 75-00289 and Indiana Universit
Conductivity sum rule, implication for in-plane dynamics and c-axis response
Recently observed -axis optical sum rule violations indicate non-Fermi
liquid in-plane behavior. For coherent -axis coupling, the observed flat,
nearly frequency independent -axis conductivity implies
a large in-plane scattering rate around and therefore any
pseudogap that might form at low frequency in the normal state will be smeared.
On the other hand incoherent -axis coupling places no restriction on the
value of and gives a more consistent picture of the observed sum rule
violation which, we find in some cases, can be less than half.Comment: 3 figures. To appear in PR
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