Cellular Growth in Aerial Roots Differs From That in Typical Substrate Roots
Background and AimsIn the roots of most vascular plants, the growth zone is small, the meristem and the elongation zone are sharply separated, and only meristematic cells divide. This statement is based almost entirely on studies with soil-rooted plants. Whether aerial roots of structurally dependen...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.894647/full |
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| author | Alen K. Eskov Alen K. Eskov Violetta A. Viktorova Evgeny Abakumov Gerhard Zotz |
| author_facet | Alen K. Eskov Alen K. Eskov Violetta A. Viktorova Evgeny Abakumov Gerhard Zotz |
| author_sort | Alen K. Eskov |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background and AimsIn the roots of most vascular plants, the growth zone is small, the meristem and the elongation zone are sharply separated, and only meristematic cells divide. This statement is based almost entirely on studies with soil-rooted plants. Whether aerial roots of structurally dependent (=epiphytic/hemiepiphytic) species differ is virtually unexplored.MethodsGrowth of aerial roots in 20 structurally dependent plant species from eight families was studied ex situ. In 12 species, we studied the anatomical structure and distribution of cortex cell lengths and rhizoderm in the growth zone.Key ResultsAll the studied aerial roots had an open apical meristem, and mitoses were not restricted to the meristem. In contrast to belowground roots, relative growth rate did not strongly increase upon transition to the elongation zone, while elongating growth was often prolonged. Still, the relative growth rate was lower than in belowground roots in soil, and in different species, it did not change considerably compared to each other.ConclusionsA distinct elongation zone with rapid cell growth was missing in the studied aerial roots. Rather, there was a growth zone in which division, growth, and differentiation co-occurred. We observed a generally low relative growth rate in aerial roots and a surprisingly similar initial growth pattern in spite of the diversity in taxonomy and ecology, which resembled initial cellular growth in leaves, stems, and fleshy dicotyledonous fruit. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T22:19:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-510e8b919276488ea82ee7bbc05c50cc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T22:19:08Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-510e8b919276488ea82ee7bbc05c50cc2022-12-22T02:27:21ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2022-05-011310.3389/fpls.2022.894647894647Cellular Growth in Aerial Roots Differs From That in Typical Substrate RootsAlen K. Eskov0Alen K. Eskov1Violetta A. Viktorova2Evgeny Abakumov3Gerhard Zotz4Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, RussiaTzitzin Main Botanical Garden, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, RussiaTzitzin Main Botanical Garden, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, RussiaFaculty of Biology, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, RussiaFunctional Ecology Group, Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, GermanyBackground and AimsIn the roots of most vascular plants, the growth zone is small, the meristem and the elongation zone are sharply separated, and only meristematic cells divide. This statement is based almost entirely on studies with soil-rooted plants. Whether aerial roots of structurally dependent (=epiphytic/hemiepiphytic) species differ is virtually unexplored.MethodsGrowth of aerial roots in 20 structurally dependent plant species from eight families was studied ex situ. In 12 species, we studied the anatomical structure and distribution of cortex cell lengths and rhizoderm in the growth zone.Key ResultsAll the studied aerial roots had an open apical meristem, and mitoses were not restricted to the meristem. In contrast to belowground roots, relative growth rate did not strongly increase upon transition to the elongation zone, while elongating growth was often prolonged. Still, the relative growth rate was lower than in belowground roots in soil, and in different species, it did not change considerably compared to each other.ConclusionsA distinct elongation zone with rapid cell growth was missing in the studied aerial roots. Rather, there was a growth zone in which division, growth, and differentiation co-occurred. We observed a generally low relative growth rate in aerial roots and a surprisingly similar initial growth pattern in spite of the diversity in taxonomy and ecology, which resembled initial cellular growth in leaves, stems, and fleshy dicotyledonous fruit.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.894647/fullaerial rootsroot growthapical root meristemepiphyteshemiepiphytesnomadic vines |
| spellingShingle | Alen K. Eskov Alen K. Eskov Violetta A. Viktorova Evgeny Abakumov Gerhard Zotz Cellular Growth in Aerial Roots Differs From That in Typical Substrate Roots Frontiers in Plant Science aerial roots root growth apical root meristem epiphytes hemiepiphytes nomadic vines |
| title | Cellular Growth in Aerial Roots Differs From That in Typical Substrate Roots |
| title_full | Cellular Growth in Aerial Roots Differs From That in Typical Substrate Roots |
| title_fullStr | Cellular Growth in Aerial Roots Differs From That in Typical Substrate Roots |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cellular Growth in Aerial Roots Differs From That in Typical Substrate Roots |
| title_short | Cellular Growth in Aerial Roots Differs From That in Typical Substrate Roots |
| title_sort | cellular growth in aerial roots differs from that in typical substrate roots |
| topic | aerial roots root growth apical root meristem epiphytes hemiepiphytes nomadic vines |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.894647/full |
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