The growths of leaves, shoots, roots and reproductive organs partly share their genetic control in maize plants

Dignat, Grégoire; Welcker, Claude; Sawkins, Mark; Ribaut, Jean-Marcel; Tardieu, François

doi:10.1111/pce.12045

Cited by 36 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 58 publications

(176 reference statements)

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“…However, if one considers that stability of evaporative demand and soil water status is, in most conditions, an exception rather than a rule (with rapid changes in evaporative demand due to clouds and of soil water availability from small rains or dew), the hydraulic mechanisms presented here may appreciably contribute to changes in final leaf area with environmental conditions and to the genetic variability of these changes. This is supported by genetic analyses showing a community of quantitative trait loci between (1) the sensitivities of LER to soil water deficit and to evaporative demand (Welcker et al, 2011), (2) the time course of the morning decline of LER and the overall sensitivity of LER to evaporative demand calculated over 1 week (Sadok et al, 2007), and (3) the genetic control of LER and of final leaf area (Dignat et al, 2013).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 83%

A Hydraulic Model Is Compatible with Rapid Changes in Leaf Elongation under Fluctuating Evaporative Demand and Soil Water Status

et al. 2014

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Plants are constantly facing rapid changes in evaporative demand and soil water content, which affect their water status and growth. In apparent contradiction to a hydraulic hypothesis, leaf elongation rate (LER) declined in the morning and recovered upon soil rehydration considerably quicker than transpiration rate and leaf water potential (typical half-times of 30 min versus 1–2 h). The morning decline of LER began at very low light and transpiration and closely followed the stomatal opening of leaves receiving direct light, which represent a small fraction of leaf area. A simulation model in maize (Zea mays) suggests that these findings are still compatible with a hydraulic hypothesis. The small water flux linked to stomatal aperture would be sufficient to decrease water potentials of the xylem and growing tissues, thereby causing a rapid decline of simulated LER, while the simulated water potential of mature tissues declines more slowly due to a high hydraulic capacitance. The model also captured growth patterns in the evening or upon soil rehydration. Changes in plant hydraulic conductance partly counteracted those of transpiration. Root hydraulic conductivity increased continuously in the morning, consistent with the transcript abundance of Zea maize Plasma Membrane Intrinsic Protein aquaporins. Transgenic lines underproducing abscisic acid, with lower hydraulic conductivity and higher stomatal conductance, had a LER declining more rapidly than wild-type plants. Whole-genome transcriptome and phosphoproteome analyses suggested that the hydraulic processes proposed here might be associated with other rapidly occurring mechanisms. Overall, the mechanisms and model presented here may be an essential component of drought tolerance in naturally fluctuating evaporative demand and soil moisture.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 83%

A Hydraulic Model Is Compatible with Rapid Changes in Leaf Elongation under Fluctuating Evaporative Demand and Soil Water Status

et al. 2014

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“…In the same way, common QTLs for leaf elongation rate and silk biomass were observed by Dignat et al . ().…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

The growth of vegetative and reproductive structures (leaves and silks) respond similarly to hydraulic cues in maize

et al. 2016

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The elongation of styles and stigma (silks) of maize (Zea mays) flowers is rapid (1-3 mm h(-1) ), occurs over a short period and plays a pivotal role in reproductive success in adverse environments. Silk elongation rate was measured using displacement transducers in 350 plants of eight genotypes during eight experiments with varying evaporative demand and soil water status. Measured time courses revealed that silk elongation rate closely followed changes in soil water status and evaporative demand, with day-night alternations similar to those in leaves. Day-night alternations were steeper with high than with low plant transpiration rate, manipulated via evaporative demand or by covering part of the leaf area. Half times of changes in silk elongation rate upon changes in evaporative demand or soil water status were 10-30 min, similar to those in leaves. The sensitivity of silk elongation rate to xylem water potential was genetically linked to that of leaf elongation rate. Lines greatly differed for these sensitivities. These results are consistent with a common hydraulic control of expansive growth in vegetative and reproductive structures upon changes in environmental conditions via a close connection with the xylem water potential. They have important implications for breeding, modelling and phenotyping.

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“…Among eight genomic regions harboring QTLs of rosette area, seven of them also involve QTLs of primary root length or total root length. In the same way, among nine consensus QTLs of leaf elongation rate of maize, five of them colocate with QTLs of the growths of other leaves, shoots, roots, or young reproductive organs with consistent allelic effects (Dignat et al, 2013). Colocation of QTLs also applies to the sensitivity of growth of several organs to water deficit, with common QTLs for the sensitivities of leaf and silk growth to water deficit .…”

Section: A Large Genetic Variability Of Sensitivities Of Expansive Grmentioning

confidence: 91%

Genetic and Physiological Controls of Growth under Water Deficit

et al. 2014

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The sensitivity of expansive growth to water deficit has a large genetic variability, which is higher than that of photosynthesis. It is observed in several species, with some genotypes stopping growth in a relatively wet soil, whereas others continue growing until the lower limit of soil-available water. The responses of growth to soil water deficit and evaporative demand share an appreciable part of their genetic control through the colocation of quantitative trait loci as do the responses of the growth of different organs to water deficit. This result may be caused by common mechanisms of action discussed in this paper (particularly, plant hydraulic properties). We propose that expansive growth, putatively linked to hydraulic processes, determines the sink strength under water deficit, whereas photosynthesis determines source strength. These findings have large consequences for plant modeling under water deficit and for the design of breeding programs.

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The growths of leaves, shoots, roots and reproductive organs partly share their genetic control in maize plants

Abstract: We have tested to what extent the growth ability of several organs of maize share a common genetic control. Every night, leaf elongation rate reaches a maximum value (LERmax) that has a high heritability, is repeatable between experiments and is correlated with final leaf length.

Cited by 36 publications

References 58 publications

A Hydraulic Model Is Compatible with Rapid Changes in Leaf Elongation under Fluctuating Evaporative Demand and Soil Water Status

A Hydraulic Model Is Compatible with Rapid Changes in Leaf Elongation under Fluctuating Evaporative Demand and Soil Water Status

The growth of vegetative and reproductive structures (leaves and silks) respond similarly to hydraulic cues in maize

Genetic and Physiological Controls of Growth under Water Deficit

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