Annals of Botany 2008 101(4):NP; doi:10.1093/aob/mcn024
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Change in cytosolic nitrate status as a signal regulating nitrate processing (Botanical Briefing)
Miller and Smith (pp. 485–489) discuss experimental evidence that encourages the view that
change in cytosolic nitrate can regulate nitrate uptake and
utilization by altering gene expression for transporters, assimilatory
enzymes and by post-translational modification. Separating nitrate
pools found in organelles, cytoplasm and the vacuole is central
to the argument.
Peanut root structure modified by nodulation
Two distinct lateral
root types are recognized in peanut by
Tajima et al. (pp. 491–499):
long, first-order laterals and short, thin second-order laterals.
In both, unusual wall ingrowths are formed in cortical cells.
Root nodules are shown to arise from proliferating cell divisions
derived from the pericycle.
Morphology and anatomy of leaf domatia compared to lamina
Foliar enclosures
(domatia) in
Hirtella physophora offer protection to ants.
Leroy et al. (pp. 501–507) show they are located at the base of each leaf and are created
not only when the lower part of the lamina rolls under itself,
but are inherent plant structures that undergo structural and
functional modification.
Systematic value of root anatomy in orchids
Orchid classification
is hampered by a scarcity of taxonomically informative characters.
Using root anatomical characters and phylogenetic analyses of
DNA sequences,
Figueroa et al. (pp. 509–520) show that
secondary thickenings of velamen cell walls and tilosomes are
good taxonomic markers. Tilosomes are documented for the first
time in Cranichideae orchids.
Pectin modifications during cold acclimation
Cold acclimation
retards leaf expansion and increases freezing resistance. De-acclimation
reverses these changes.
Solecka et al. (pp. 521–530) show
that the effects are associated with modifications to pectins
and with their methyl-esterification in cell walls in relation
to altered leaf tensile strength. Such modifications are reminiscent
of acclimation to mechanical stress.
Sulfur dioxide tolerance in lichens
Lichens are known
to be sensitive to aqueous SO
2. Only a few species are markedly
tolerant.
Hauck et al. (pp. 531–539) show that tolerance
is closely correlated with hydrophobicity of the thallus surface.
This hydrophobicity is similar to that of lotus flower petals.
Validation of assembly rules
Understanding mechanisms
and rules guiding species assembly and vegetation dynamics is
a major challenge.
Kahmen and Poschlod (pp. 541–548) show
that germination season (spring or autumn) can explain the occurrence
of the respective species along a land-use-intensity gradient.
Species germinating mainly in autumn strongly decrease in abandoned
farmland.
Modelling primary productivity of alpine meadows
Canopies of temperate
alpine meadows differ structurally and biochemically along snowmelt
gradients.
Baptist and Choler (pp. 549–559) find that
snow-induced changes in length of growing season strongly affect
carbon uptake. The negative effect of a shorter growing season
can be compensated for by a larger leaf area index and N-content.
Environmental stress affects size differentials in jack pine
Metsaranta and Lieffers (pp. 561–571) examine annual changes in the inequality of size and size increment
over 50 years in stands of even-aged
Pinus banksiana. They find
that differences in growth rate among trees during years of
poor growth may induce the development of size hierarchies on
which asymmetric competition can act.
Suppression of host photosynthesis by parasitic Rhinanthus
Effects of facultative
hemi-parasitic plants on host metabolism are poorly characterized.
Cameron et al. (pp. 573–578) investigate the effects of
Rhinanthus minor on host photochemistry and quantify the effect
of host identity on parasite photochemistry, demonstrating significant
differences between ‘good’ and ‘bad’
hosts.
Day length and development in sorghum
West African sorghums
are photoperiod sensitive and show marked phenotypic plasticity
in response to sowing date.
Clerget et al. (pp. 579–594) show this plasticity extends not only to growth duration and
plant height, but also to rates of growth and development that
are determined by day length and soil temperature shortly after
emergence.
In vivo, real-time observations of refilling vessels (Technical Article)
Refilling of embolized
xylem vessels with sap is visualized by
Lee and Kim (pp. 595–602) in leaves and stem of bamboo using an X-ray micro-imaging technique.
The method shows the menisci rising between sap and gas during
refilling. This technique will help to explore water transport
in embolized xylem.
New model to analyse reciprocal transfer experiments (Technical Article)
Ontogenetic response
to environment can be identified by transferring individuals
between favourable and less favourable conditions.
Yin (pp. 603–611) describes a model with which data from reciprocal transfers
are combined in a single curve-fitting procedure. This new approach
reveals that the optimum temperature of rice pre-flowering development
varies with age.
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