biologia plantarum

International journal on Plant Life established by Bohumil Němec in 1959

Biologia plantarum 53:263-270, 2009 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-009-0049-4

Aerenchyma formation in maize roots

Z. Lenochová1,*, A. Soukup1, O. Votrubová1
1 Department of Plant Physiology, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic

Maize (Zea mays L.) is generally considered to be a plant with aerenchyma formation inducible by environmental conditions. In our study, young maize plants, cultivated in various ways in order to minimise the stressing effect of hypoxia, flooding, mechanical impedance or nutrient starvation, were examined for the presence of aerenchyma in their primary roots. The area of aerenchyma in the root cortex was correlated with the root length. Although 12 different maize accessions were used, no plants without aerenchyma were acquired until an ethylene synthesis inhibitor was employed. Using an ACC-synthase inhibitor, it was confirmed that the aerenchyma formation is ethylene-regulated and dependent on irradiance. The presence of TUNEL-positive nuclei and ultrastructural changes in cortical cells suggest a connection between ethylene-dependent aerenchyma formation and programmed cell death. Position of cells with TUNEL-positive nuclei in relation to aerenchyma-channels was described.

Keywords: Zea mays; hypoxia; ethylene; PCD; TUNEL reaction; TEM
Subjects: aerenchyma formation; ethylene; hypoxia; maize; programmed cell death; root anatomy; transmission electrom microscopy; TUNEL reaction; ultrastructure; waterlogging; Zea mays

Received: July 11, 2007; Accepted: May 22, 2008; Published: June 1, 2009  Show citation

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Lenochová, Z., Soukup, A., & Votrubová, O. (2009). Aerenchyma formation in maize roots. Biologia plantarum, 53(2), 263-270. doi: 10.1007/s10535-009-0049-4
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