| Abstract Detail
Development and Structure Chery, Joyce [1], Glos, Rosemary [1], Anderson, Charles [2]. Gelatinous fibers as fundamental building blocks of plant movement: a case study in woody vines. Many forms of plant movement are facilitated by specialized contractile cells with unique wall architectures called gelatinous fibers (g-fibers). However, how g-fibers function in the climbing movements of woody vines (lianas) remains underexplored. To investigate the prevalence and functions of g-fibers in lianas, we surveyed the presence/absence and tissue localization of g-fibers in the stem anatomy of two classes of lianas: stem twiners, which use their main axis to wrap around a support, and non-stem twiners that attach to supports via tendrils or adventitious roots. Across 164 species spanning the vascular plant phylogeny, g-fibers are common in stem twiners but are scarce in non-stem twiners. When present, g-fibers are located in the xylem, phloem, pericycle, and/or cortex. These results highlight the potential for internal tissue layers to facilitate stem twining and provide further evidence that g-fibers are intrinsic to bending organs and are thus foundational to bending movements in plants. To test the functions of g-fibers in a twining vine, we experimentally manipulated the phytohormone brassinosteroid (BR) –a modulator of g-fiber development – in the common bean Phaseolus vulgaris (Fabaceae). We found that inhibiting BR biosynthesis reduced leaf area, arrested internode elongation, and maintained stems in an erect, non-twining posture. Together, these data provide new insights into how g-fibers actuate the plant body for climbing.
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1 - Cornell University, School of Integrative Plant Sciences, Section of Plant Biology and the L.H. Bailey Hortorium, 410 Mann Library, Ithaca, NY, 14850, United States
2 - The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Biology, University Park, PA, 16802, United States
Keywords:
gelatinous fibers
tension fibers
lianas
climbing mechanisms
cell wall
brassinosteroid
hormones
vines.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: DS3, Development and Structure III
Location: /
Date: Thursday, July 22nd, 2021
Time: 11:30 AM(EDT)
Number: DS3007
Abstract ID:560
Candidate for Awards:None |
