1. Aluminium is essential for root growth and development of tea plants ( Camellia sinensis )
- Author
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Qianzhuo Mao, Leon V. Kochian, Mengshi Zhang, Chen Shi, Lili Sun, Xiaomei Liu, and Hong Liao
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,0301 basic medicine ,Root growth ,essential ,tea ,DNA, Plant ,DNA damage ,Meristem ,chemistry.chemical_element ,Plant Science ,Morin ,Plant Roots ,01 natural sciences ,Biochemistry ,Camellia sinensis ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,Molecular Physiology ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Aluminium ,Botany ,Cell Nucleus ,integumentary system ,Chemistry ,aluminium ,food and beverages ,Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ,root ,Staining ,Cytosol ,030104 developmental biology ,Protons ,Aluminum ,DNA Damage ,010606 plant biology & botany - Abstract
On acid soils, the trivalent aluminium ion (Al3+) predominates and is very rhizotoxic to most plant species. For some native plant species adapted to acid soils including tea (Camellia sinensis), Al3+ has been regarded as a beneficial mineral element. In this study, we discovered that Al3+ is actually essential for tea root growth and development in all the tested varieties. Aluminum ion promoted new root growth in five representative tea varieties with dose‐dependent responses to Al3+ availability. In the absence of Al3+, the tea plants failed to generate new roots, and the root tips were damaged within 1 d of Al deprivation. Structural analysis of root tips demonstrated that Al was required for root meristem development and activity. In situ morin staining of Al3+ in roots revealed that Al mainly localized to nuclei in root meristem cells, but then gradually moved to the cytosol when Al3+ was subsequently withdrawn. This movement of Al3+ from nuclei to cytosols was accompanied by exacerbated DNA damage, which suggests that the nuclear‐targeted Al primarily acts to maintain DNA integrity. Taken together, these results provide novel evidence that Al3+ is essential for root growth in tea plants through maintenance of DNA integrity in meristematic cells., Ionic aluminium (Al3+) has been known to be rhizotoxic to most plant species. However, we demonstrate that Al3+ is essential for tea root growth and development through maintenance of DNA integrity in meristematic cells.
- Published
- 2020