No abstract

Roots provide essential uptake of water and nutrients from the soil, as well as anchorage and stability for the whole plant. Root orientation, or angle, is an important component of the overall architecture and depth of the root system; however, little is known about the genetic control of this trait. Recent reports in Oryza sativa (rice) identified a role for DEEPER ROOTING 1 (DRO1) in influencing the orientation of the root system, leading to positive changes in grain yields under water-limited conditions. Here we found that DRO1 and DRO1-related genes are present across diverse plant phyla, and fall within the IGT gene family. The IGT family also includes TAC1 and LAZY1, which are known to affect the orientation of lateral shoots. Consistent with a potential role in root development, DRO1 homologs in Arabidopsis and peach showed root-specific expression. Promoter-reporter constructs revealed that AtDRO1 is predominantly expressed in both the root vasculature and root tips, in a distinct developmental pattern. Mutation of AtDRO1 led to more horizontal lateral root angles. Overexpression of AtDRO1 under a constitutive promoter resulted in steeper lateral root angles, as well as shoot phenotypes including upward leaf curling, shortened siliques and narrow lateral branch angles. A conserved C-terminal EAR-like motif found in IGT genes was required for these ectopic phenotypes. Overexpression of PpeDRO1 in Prunus domestica (plum) led to deeper-rooting phenotypes. Collectively, these data indicate a potential application for DRO1-related genes to alter root architecture for drought avoidance and improved resource use.

BACKGROUND:The impact of anxiety and depression on quality of life (QOL) in adult patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) is fully unknown. We investigated the prevalence and factors associated with anxiety and depression, including QOL, in adult CF patients. METHODS: One hundred twenty-one adult CF subjects, age > 18 years were recruited from our out-patient clinic. Participants self-completed the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale and the Cystic Fibrosis Quality of Life Questionnaire (CF-QOL). Socio-demographic data and values for lung function were extracted from the medical notes. RESULTS: Mean ؎ SD age was 30 ؎ 8.8 years, and age ranged 18 -70 years. Forty (33%) were identified with anxiety symptoms, 20 (17%) with depressive symptoms. Factors related with depression were impaired QOL and low lung function. Anxiety was associated with difficulty in interpersonal relationships and severity of chest symptoms. The CF-QOL subdomains (physical functioning, social functioning, treatment issues, chest symptoms, emotional functioning, concerns for the future, interpersonal relationships, body image, future/career concerns, and total CF-QOL) were all significantly correlated with anxiety (P < .001) and with depression (P < .001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Anxiety and depressive symptoms are common in adult CF patients. They are associated with poorer QOL, low lung function, reduced physical functioning, and severity of chest symptoms. Therefore, routine screening for symptoms of anxiety and depression is a worthy endeavor, and those identified with elevated clinical symptoms should be referred to receive appropriate treatment.