PRE-SOWING SEED TREATMENT WITH PHYSICAL STRESSORS INDUCES CHANGES IN AMOUNT OF SECONDARY METABOLITES IN NEEDLES OF PICEA ABIES SEEDLINGS

Tree resistance to pathogens is related to the general viability of trees, their growth energy, and ability to synthesize and to mobilize secondary metabolites (SMs), usually phenolic compounds, in tissues. The total phenolic content (TPC) in Norway spruce needles was determined during two vegetation seasons in order to compare the chemical background and ability of different Norway spruce half-sib families to synthesize TPC in response to seed treatment with physical stressors: cold plasma for 1 and 2 min (CP1, CP2) and electromagnetic field for 2 min (EMF2). TPC in seedling needles significantly differed between affected and control groups, but differences were stronger exerted during the first year of vegetation. In the first vegetation season, the strongest positive effects on TPC synthesis were induced by EMF2 treatment in 463 and 577 half-sib families, by CP1 treatment − in 457 half-sib family and by CP2 treatment − in 541 half-sib family; in the second vegetation season strongest effects were detected in CP1 treated 457 half-sib family and in CP2 treated 548 and 477 half-sib families. The half-sib families of Picea abies with higher TPC induced by seed treatment with different physical stressors could be more resistant to pathogens and diseases. The variance component of family for TPC variated from 14±10 % till 17±11 %, and was significant. The interaction of genotype and environment on TPC was as high as 49 ± 20%

On the molecular mechanisms of plant response to prie-sowing seed treatment with cold plasma and electromagnetic field

New emerging interdisciplinary field of research on cold plasma (CP) and electromagnetic field (EF) applications for agriculture is directed towards exploiting of the potential of plant functional plasticity. Numerous studies reported that seed stress induced by treatment with CP and EF leads to improved seed germination, faster seedling growth and other beneficial effects. However, until now the weakest point in this area is lack of detailed information on the molecular processes involved in plant response to seed treatments. Our recent studies were focused on considering the observed plant responses in the context of basic principles of seed physiology and development. The experiments were performed on perennial woody species (black mulberry, Morus nigra L.; Smirnov’s rhododendron, Rhododendron smirnowii Trautv.; Norway spruce, Picea abies), perennial medicinal plants (purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench; red clover, Trifolium pratense L.) and annual plant species (sunflower, Helianthus annuus; thale cress, Arabidopsis thaliana; radish Raphanus sativus; common buckwheat, Fagopyrum esculentum). We report novel findings important for understanding of CP and EF effects in the context of seed physiology and molecular processes: (1) the extent of the observed effects on germination is dependent on seed dormancy status characterized by seed hormonal balance (the most important is ratio between absisic acid, ABA and gibberrelins, GA) and we showed that seed treatment with CP and EF induce rapid decrease in ABA/GA ratio indicating that CP and EF are extremely powerful dormancy breaking agents; (2) seed treatments with CP and EF modulate H2O2 production in germinating seeds of P. abies, so that CP treatments inhibiting germination decrease ROS generation while EF treatments stimulating germination result in increased ROS generation; [...]Biochemijos katedraVytauto Didžiojo universiteta

Project “Estimation of an impact of climate change on biological diversity in The Southwest Lithuania and development of measures for adjustment (Botanica sudavica)”

Project EEE-LT03-AM-01-K-01-010 “Estimation of an impact of climate change on biological diversity in the Southwest Lithuania and development of measures for adjustment (Botanica sudavica)”Aplinkotyros katedraVytauto Didžiojo universiteta

The 90-year long route of Kaunas botanical garden

Research of plant diversity : present ang future : abstracts of international scientific conferenece, June 27–28, 2013, KaunasKaunas Botanical Garden was founded in 1923 as the centre of botanical sciences of Lithua­ nian (later Vytautas Magnus) University. The stimulating initiative for its establishment was shown by two outstanding leaders in the contemporary biology science – botanist prof. Liudas Vailionis and zoologist prof. tadas Ivanauskas. They claimed that botanical garden is the pre­ requisity for the development of very recently established Lithuanian University if it aims at achieving the best standards of european universities. A spacious green area with the old park, picturesque ponds and several buildings of the former estate of Auk toji freda were provided for establishing the Botanical Garden at that time and it preserved a strong historical spirit and beauty until nowadays. Professor Konstantin regel from tartu University was invited to direct Kaunas Botanical Garden. His dedication and great enthusiasm combined with high profes­ sional skills provided very strong impetus for the development of the garden. The Botanical Garden was granted the area of 74 hectares in the former estate of Joseph Godlewski on 15 february, 1923. On 8 July of the same year, the Botanical Garden was sancti­ fied and President Aleksandras stulginskis placed the cornerstone for the Greenhouse. A fa­ mous garden architect Karol rauth from Hanover was invited to create a detailed project for the Botanical Garden. Kaunas Botanical Garden built up very rapidly with the help of other Botanical gardens, especially those of Berlin Dahlem, Konigsberg and st. Petersburg. Over a few years, the Botanical Garden has become an educational base of biological, medical and pharmaceutical students – an important plant science centre. Much attention was paid to plan introduction, heredity, diseases, systematics. The first catalogue for the seed exchange was pub­ lished in 1924. The same year prof. Kazys Grybauskas founded the Department of Medicinal PlantsBotanikos sodasVytauto Didžiojo universiteta

Plant response to seed treatment with cold plasma and electromagnetic field involves changes in seed ROS production, phytohormone amount and protein expression

Fast growth of global population leads to necessity to intensify agricultural technologies while reducing their environmental impact. New emerging interdisciplinary field of research on cold plasma (CP) and electromagnetic field (EF) applications for agriculture is directed towards exploiting of the potential of plant functional plasticity. Seed stress induced by treatment with CP and EF leads to improved seed germination, seedling growth and other beneficial effects. Successful development of reliable agrobiotechnology based on these findings is ultimately dependent on knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved in CP or EF induced signal initiation, response regulation and development. However, until now more detailed information on the molecular processes involved in plant response to seed treatments was lacking. We report novel findings important for understanding of CP and EF effects in the context of seed physiology and molecular processes: (1) the extent of the observed effects on seed germination is largerly dependent on seed dormancy status which is characterized by balance between absisic acid, ABA and gibberrelins, GA. Our results showed that seed treatment with CP and EMF induce rapid decrease in ABA/GA ratio in Raphanus sativus seeds, indicating that CP and EMF may be considered as extremely powerful dormancy breaking agents; (2) pre-sowing seed treatments with physical stressors increase EPR signal and modulate H2O2 production in seeds of P. abies, so that CP treatments inhibiting germination induce decrease ROS generation and EF treatments stimulating germination result in increased ROS generation; (3) short time (2-15 min) seed treatments with CP and EF induce substantial changes in the amount of secondary metabolites and antioxidative activity in leaves growing seedlings of E. purpurea, T. pratense and F. esculentum.[...]Biochemijos katedraVytauto Didžiojo universiteta

Projektas „Klimato kaitos poveikio Pietvakarių Lietuvos botaninei įvairovei nustatymas ir prisitaikymo priemonių parengimas (BOTANICA SUDAVICA)“

Biochemijos katedraVytauto Didžiojo universiteta

Use of plant stress response for increasing plant biomass, harvest and production of biologically active compounds

Seed germination and seedling growth can be improved by the pre-sowing seed treatment with cold plasma (CP) and electromagnetic field (EF), however the molecular mechanisms of these effects remain elusive. Our experiments were performed on perennial woody species (Morus nigra L., Rhododendron smirnowii Trautv., Picea abies), perennial medicinal plants (Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench, Trifolium pratense L.) and annual plant species (Helianthus annuus, Raphanus sativus; Fagopyrum esculentum). We report novel findings important for understanding of CP and EF effects: (i) the extent of the observed effects on germination is dependent on seed dormancy status characterized by seed hormonal balance (the most important is ratio between absisic acid and gibberrelins); (ii) seed treatments with CP and EF induce changes in the amount of secondary metabolites and antioxidative activity in tissues of growing plants. That is an important part of plant stress response leading to increased seedling establishment, defense and communication potential; (iii) results of differential proteomic analysis performed on H. annuus seeds and leaves of seedlings showed that CP and EMF treatments induce changes in expression of more than 30 proteoforms in seeds and more that 100 proteoforms (mostly involved in photosynthesis) in leaves, indicating that plant stress response induced by seed treatment with CP and EF involves multiple changes in plant gene expression, (iv) The results of the long-time field observations showed that CP and EMF effects on P. abies growth persist for more than 4 years and have impact on plant UVB stress response; seed treatments almost twice increased biomass production and seed harvest of F. EsculentumBiochemijos katedraVytauto Didžiojo universiteta

Kinetic analysis of modulation of oxidative phosphorylation [Rankraštis] : research report presented for habilitation : biomedical sciences, biology (01B)

Rodyklė: Aut. darbų sąrašas: p. 94-95 (18 pavad.)Kauno medicinos universiteta

Interaction of tetraphenylphosphonium with oxidative system in heart mitochondria

Kauno medicinos universiteto Biomedicininių tyrimų instituta