role of adventitious roots in water relations of tamarack (larix laricina) seedlings exposed to flooding角色落叶松不定根的水关系(落叶松属laricina)幼苗遭受洪水.pdfVIP

Calvo-Polanco et al. BMC Plant Biology 2012, 12:99 /1471-2229/12/99 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Role of adventitious roots in water relations of tamarack (Larix laricina) seedlings exposed to flooding * Mónica Calvo-Polanco, Jorge Señorans and Janusz J Zwiazek Abstract Background: Flooding reduces supply of oxygen to the roots affecting plant water uptake. Some flooding-tolerant tree species including tamarack (Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch) produce adventitious roots in response to flooding. These roots were reported to have higher hydraulic conductivity under flooding conditions compared with non-adventitious roots. In the present study, we examined structural and functional modifications in adventitious roots of tamarack seedlings to explain their flooding tolerance. Results: Seedlings were subjected to the flooding treatment for six months, which resulted in an almost complete disintegration of the existing root system and its replacement with adventitious roots. We compared gas exchange parameters and water relations of flooded plants with the plants growing in well-drained soil and examined the root structures and root water transport properties. Although flooded seedlings had lower needle chlorophyll concentrations, their stomatal conductance, net photosynthesis rates and shoot water potentials were similar to non-flooded plants, indicative of flooding tolerance. Flooded adventitious roots had higher activation energy and a higher ratio of apoplastic to cell-to-cell water flow compared with non-flooded control roots as determined with the 1-hydroxypirene 3,6,8-trisulfonic acid apoplastic tracer dye. The adventitious roots in flooded plants also exhibited retarded xylem and endodermal development and