The Electrical Network of Maize Root Apex is Gravity Dependent

Year: 2015

Authors: Masi E., Ciszak M., Comparini D., Monetti E., Pandolfi C., Azzarello E., Mugnai S., Baluska F.,
Mancuso S.

Autors Affiliation: LINV, Department of Agrifood Production and Environmental Sciences (DISPAA), University of Florence, viale delle Idee 30, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy; CNR, National Institute of Optics (INO), L.go E. Fermi 6, 50125 Florence, Italy; LINV@Kitakyushu Research Center, University of Kitakyushu, 808-0135 Hibikino, Wakamatsu-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan;
Department of Plant Cell Biology, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Botany (IZMB), University of Bonn, Kirschallee 1, D-53115 Bonn, Germany

Abstract: Investigations carried out on maize roots under microgravity and hypergravity revealed that gravity conditions have strong effects on the network of plant electrical activity. Both the duration of action potentials (APs) and their propagation velocities were significantly affected by gravity. Similarly to what was reported for animals, increased gravity forces speed-up APs and enhance synchronized electrical events also in plants. The root apex transition zone emerges as the most active, as well as the most sensitive, root region in this respect.

Journal/Review: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS

Volume: 5      Pages from: 7730-1  to: 7730-7

More Information: The Authors would like to thank ESA (European Space Agency), Novespace and the Large Diameter Centrifuge (LDC) facility at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (Noordwijk, Netherland) for their kind support to the experiments. Financial support to the project was provided by the Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) program of the EU (FET-Open Grant n. 293431). M.C. acknowledges Regione Toscana for financial support.
KeyWords: action potential; electrophysiology; gravity; maize; meristem; microelectrode; physiology; probability, Action Potentials; Electrophysiological Phenomena; Gravitation; Meristem; Microelectrodes; Probability; Zea mays
DOI: 10.1038/srep07730

Citations: 19
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