Microorganism and filamentous fungi drive evolution of plant synapses

Abstract

In the course of plant evolution, there is an obvious trend toward an increased complexity of plant bodies, as well as an increased sophistication of plant behavior and communication. Phenotypic plasticity of plants is based on the polar auxin transport machinery that is directly linked with plant sensory systems impinging on plant behavior and adaptive responses. Similar to the emergence and evolution of eukaryotic cells, evolution of land plants was also shaped and driven by infective and symbiotic microorganisms. These microorganisms are the driving force behind the evolution of plant synapses and other neuronal aspects of higher plants; this is especially pronounced in the root apices. Plant synapses allow synaptic cell–cell communication and coordination in plants, as well as sensory-motor integration in root apices searching for water and mineral nutrition. These neuronal aspects of higher plants are closely linked with their unique ability to adapt to environmental changes.

Zoocentrism in the weeds? Cultivating plant models for cognitive yield

“…In sum, the cognitive process-supporting machinery most commonly associated with-and typically uniquely attributed to-animals, was identified in plants, not only in the ancient world by Parmenides and Theophrastus, but also by experimental science from the early twentieth century to the present. Such empirical findings on the complex bioelectrical networks that inhere in plants, and can be shown to facilitate aspects of cognitive behavior, support the argument for counting plants as straightforwardly cognitive (Baluška and Mancuso 2013;Segundo-Ortin and Calvo 2019). We avoid the anthropomorphism worry of Taiz et al (2019) by relating cognition to whole-organism physiological coherence for self and niche response and modulation, which requires neither an animal brain nor a zoocentric classical information processing scheme.…”

Root Apex Transition Zone As Oscillatory Zone

“…Could it be that the evolutionary origin of the transition zone is related to the stress biology of plant roots and their very symbiotic nature? Indeed, land plant evolution has been driven by symbiotic interactions of the earliest land plants with fungi and bacteria (Jorgensen, 1993; Simon et al, 1993; Wang et al, 2010; Sanders et al, 2011; Baluška and Mancuso, 2013b). Evolving plants, and especially their roots, invented very high complexity of proteins of the PIN, PILS, and ABC transporter families (Cho and Cho, 2012; Feraru et al, 2012; Viaene et al, 2013).…”

“…This allowed evolution of root apex sensory-motoric circuits driving complex architecture and behavior of root systems (Baluška et al, 2009a, b; Baluška, 2012a; Burbach et al, 2012; Wan et al, 2012) exploring effectively heterogenous soil patches (Hodge, 2009; Monshausen and Gilroy, 2009; Trewavas, 2009). Especially the shootward PIN2 transporter and non-genomic auxin receptor ABP1 emerge to be essential for the evolution of plant synapses and root apex transition zone (Baluška et al, 2009a, 2010a; Baluška, 2012a; Baluška and Mancuso, 2013b). …”

New Insights on Plant Cell Elongation: A Role for Acetylcholine

“…Although it has been studied for decades the mechanism is still not completely unravelled, since the response of the cell to the elongation stimulus is integrated and highly complex [ 1 , 2 ]. Recently, it has been proposed that auxin transport could involve secretion via an endocytic vesicle recycling process, at least at the root apex [ 3 – 8 ]. This vesicular secretion closely resembles the synaptic communication in animals [ 9 – 12 ] and, at the same time, supports the neurotransmitter-like concept of auxin [ 13 ].…”