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4 pages, 244 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Molecular, Metabolic and Physiological Responses to Boron Stress in Higher Plants

by María Reguera and Juan José Camacho-Cristóbal

Plants 2023, 12(11), 2136; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12112136 - 28 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1005

Abstract

Although the essentiality of boron (B) for plant growth has recently been questioned [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular, Metabolic and Physiological Responses to Boron Stress in Higher Plants)

Research

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11 pages, 928 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Silicon Differently Affects Apoplastic Binding of Excess Boron in Wheat and Sunflower Leaves

by Jasna Savic, Jelena Pavlovic, Milos Stanojevic, Predrag Bosnic, Ljiljana Kostic Kravljanac, Nina Nikolic and Miroslav Nikolic

Plants 2023, 12(8), 1660; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12081660 - 15 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1141

Abstract

Monocots and dicots differ in their boron (B) requirement, but also in their capacity to accumulate silicon (Si). Although an ameliorative effect of Si on B toxicity has been reported in various crops, differences among monocots and dicots are not clear, in particular [...] Read more.

Monocots and dicots differ in their boron (B) requirement, but also in their capacity to accumulate silicon (Si). Although an ameliorative effect of Si on B toxicity has been reported in various crops, differences among monocots and dicots are not clear, in particular in light of their ability to retain B in the leaf apoplast. In hydroponic experiments under controlled conditions, we studied the role of Si in the compartmentation of B within the leaves of wheat (Triticum vulgare L.) as a model of a high-Si monocot and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) as a model of a low-Si dicot, with the focus on the leaf apoplast. The stable isotopes ¹⁰B and ¹¹B were used to investigate the dynamics of cell wall B binding capacity. In both crops, the application of Si did not affect B concentration in the root, but significantly decreased the B concentration in the leaves. However, the application of Si differently influenced the binding capacity of the leaf apoplast for excess B in wheat and sunflower. In wheat, whose capacity to retain B in the leaf cell walls is lower than in sunflower, the continuous supply of Si is crucial for an enhancement of high B tolerance in the shoot. On the other hand, the supply of Si did not contribute significantly in the extension of the B binding sites in sunflower leaves. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular, Metabolic and Physiological Responses to Boron Stress in Higher Plants)

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13 pages, 1260 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Response of Maize (Zea mays L.) to Drought under Salinity and Boron Stress in the Atacama Desert

by Camilo Riveros-Burgos, Richard Bustos-Peña, Wladimir Esteban-Condori and Elizabeth Bastías

Plants 2023, 12(7), 1519; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12071519 - 31 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1412

Abstract

The Lluta valley in northern Chile is a hyper-arid region with annual precipitation lower than 1.1 mm, and high levels of boron (B) from alluvial deposits are present together with other salts that originated from the Cretaceous. Under these abiotic conditions, the ‘lluteño’ [...] Read more.

The Lluta valley in northern Chile is a hyper-arid region with annual precipitation lower than 1.1 mm, and high levels of boron (B) from alluvial deposits are present together with other salts that originated from the Cretaceous. Under these abiotic conditions, the ‘lluteño’ maize (Zea mays L.) is of interest because it has adapted to the Lluta valley with high salinity levels and B excess in the soil and irrigation water. Water and salt stress coincide in heavily irrigated hyper-arid agricultural areas, yet they are usually studied in isolation. We investigated in field conditions the combined effects of drought (22 days with no irrigation) under salinity (ECe: 5.5 mS cm⁻¹; Na+: 17.8 meq L⁻¹) and B (21.1 meq L⁻¹) stress on physiology, growth, yield, and hourly water relations. The results allow to hypothesize that the measurement of the pre-dawn water potential represents the balance between the water potential of the soil and the root. Besides, under drought a significant effect of irrigation and time interaction was observed presenting a high differential between the leaf and stem water potential in both phenological stages. Furthermore, a decrease in net assimilation was observed, and it could be explained in part by non-stomatal factors such as the high radiation and temperature observed at the end of the season. Despite the drought, the cobs did not present a significantly lower quality compared to the cobs of plants without stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular, Metabolic and Physiological Responses to Boron Stress in Higher Plants)

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18 pages, 3543 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Crosstalk of Cytokinin with Ethylene and Auxin for Cell Elongation Inhibition and Boron Transport in Arabidopsis Primary Root under Boron Deficiency

by María Begoña Herrera-Rodríguez, Juan José Camacho-Cristóbal, Rafael Barrero-Rodríguez, Jesús Rexach, María Teresa Navarro-Gochicoa and Agustín González-Fontes

Plants 2022, 11(18), 2344; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11182344 - 08 Sep 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2263

Abstract

Several studies have shown the role of phytohormones in the regulation of root growth of Arabidopsis plants under boron (B) deficiency. Ethylene and auxin play an important role in the control of Arabidopsis primary root cell elongation under short-term B deprivation, whereas cytokinins [...] Read more.

Several studies have shown the role of phytohormones in the regulation of root growth of Arabidopsis plants under boron (B) deficiency. Ethylene and auxin play an important role in the control of Arabidopsis primary root cell elongation under short-term B deprivation, whereas cytokinins regulate root growth inhibition under B deficiency by controlling meristem cell proliferation. In this work, we study the possible interaction among cytokinin, ethylene, and auxin in the primary root response to B-deprivation treatment, as well as their possible role in B uptake and transport. Wild type (WT) and two mutants related to auxin and ethylene (aux1 and acs11) Arabidopsis plants were grown in control (10 µM B) or B starvation (0 µM B) treatment, in the absence or presence of trans-zeatin, and their primary root growth was analyzed. The possible interaction between these hormones was also studied by analyzing AUX1 gene expression in the acs11 mutant and ACS11 gene expression in the aux1 mutant. The GUS reporter lines ARR5::GUS, IAA2::GUS, and EBS::GUS were used to observe changes in cytokinin, auxin, and ethylene levels in the root, respectively. The results of this work suggest that cytokinin inhibits root cell elongation under B deficiency through two different mechanisms: (i) an ethylene-dependent mechanism through increased expression of the ACS11 gene, which would lead to increased ethylene in the root, and (ii) an ethylene-independent mechanism through decreased expression of the AUX1 gene, which alters auxin signaling in the meristematic and elongation zones and stele. We also report that changes in the expression of several B transporters occur in response to auxin, ethylene, and cytokinin that may affect the plant B content. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular, Metabolic and Physiological Responses to Boron Stress in Higher Plants)

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22 pages, 4052 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Salt Pretreatment-Mediated Alleviation of Boron Toxicity in Safflower Cultivars: Growth, Boron Accumulation, Photochemical Activities, Antioxidant Defense Response

by Özlem Arslan, Şeküre Çulha Erdal and Yasemin Ekmekçi

Plants 2022, 11(17), 2316; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11172316 - 04 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1677

Abstract

The study aims to elucidate alleviant effects of boron (B) toxicity by salt pretreatment (SP) on growth response, phytoremediation capacity, photosynthesis, and defense mechanisms in two safflower cultivars (Carthamus tinctorius L.; Dinçer and Remzibey-05). Eighteen-day-old plants were divided into two groups: SP [...] Read more.

The study aims to elucidate alleviant effects of boron (B) toxicity by salt pretreatment (SP) on growth response, phytoremediation capacity, photosynthesis, and defense mechanisms in two safflower cultivars (Carthamus tinctorius L.; Dinçer and Remzibey-05). Eighteen-day-old plants were divided into two groups: SP (75 mM NaCl for 5 days) and/or B treatment (C, 2, 4, 6, and 8 mM B for 10 days). Depending on the applied B toxicity, B concentrations in roots and leaves of both cultivars, necrotic areas of leaves, ion leakage (RLR), and H₂O₂ synthesis increased, while shoot and root length as well as biomass, water, chlorophyll a+b, and carotenoid content decreased. In addition, chlorophyll a fluorescence results revealed that every stage of the light reactions of photosynthesis was adversely affected under B toxicity, resulting in decreases in performance indexes (PI_ABS and PI_TOT). However, the cultivars tended to induce the synthesis of anthocyanins and flavonoids and increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, APX, and GR) to detoxify reactive oxygen species (ROS) under B toxicity. SP mitigated the negative effects of toxic B on biomass, water and pigment content, membrane integrity, photosynthetic activity, and defense systems. Considering all results, Remzibey-05 was able to better overcome the biochemical and physiological changes that may be caused by B toxicity by more effectively rendering B harmless, although it accumulated more B than Dinçer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular, Metabolic and Physiological Responses to Boron Stress in Higher Plants)

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22 pages, 3030 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Carbon-11 Radiotracing Reveals Physiological and Metabolic Responses of Maize Grown under Different Regimes of Boron Treatment

by Stacy L. Wilder, Stephanie Scott, Spenser Waller, Avery Powell, Mary Benoit, James M. Guthrie, Michael J. Schueller, Prameela Awale, Paula McSteen, Michaela S. Matthes and Richard A. Ferrieri

Plants 2022, 11(3), 241; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11030241 - 18 Jan 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2009

Abstract

In agriculture, boron is known to play a critical role in healthy plant growth. To dissect the role of boron in maize metabolism, radioactive carbon-11 (t_½ 20.4 min) was used to examine the physiological and metabolic responses of 3-week-old B73 maize plants [...] Read more.

In agriculture, boron is known to play a critical role in healthy plant growth. To dissect the role of boron in maize metabolism, radioactive carbon-11 (t_½ 20.4 min) was used to examine the physiological and metabolic responses of 3-week-old B73 maize plants to different levels of boron spanning 0 mM, 0.05 mM, and 0.5 mM boric acid (BA) treatments. Growth behavior, of both shoots and roots, was recorded and correlated to plant physiological responses. ¹¹CO₂ fixation, leaf export of [¹¹C]-photosynthates, and their rate of transport increased systematically with increasing BA concentrations, while the fraction of [¹¹C]-photosynthates delivered to the roots under 0 mM and 0.5 mM BA treatments was lower than under 0.05 mM BA treatment, likely due to changes in root growth. Additionally, solid-phase extraction coupled with gamma counting, radio-fluorescence thin layer chromatography, and radio-fluorescence high-performance liquid chromatography techniques applied to tissue extracts provided insight into the effects of BA treatment on ‘new’ carbon (as ¹¹C) metabolism. Most notable was the strong influence reducing boron levels had on raising ¹¹C partitioning into glutamine, aspartic acid, and asparagine. Altogether, the growth of maize under different regimes of boron affected ¹¹CO₂ fixation, its metabolism and allocation belowground, and altered root growth. Finally, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry provided insight into the effects of BA treatment on plant uptake of other essential nutrients. Here, levels of boron and zinc systematically increased in foliar tissues with increasing BA concentration. However, levels of magnesium, potassium, calcium, manganese, and iron remained unaffected by treatment. The rise in foliar zinc levels with increased BA concentration may contribute to improved ¹¹CO₂ fixation under these conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular, Metabolic and Physiological Responses to Boron Stress in Higher Plants)

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15 pages, 8288 KiB

Open AccessArticle

One-Time Foliar Application and Continuous Resupply via Roots Equally Improved the Growth and Physiological Response of B-Deficient Oilseed Rape

by Anh Quang Dinh, Asif Naeem, Amit Sagervanshi and Karl H. Mühling

Plants 2021, 10(5), 866; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10050866 - 26 Apr 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1902

Abstract

Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) is a high-boron (B)-demanding crop, and initially, normal growing plants might show B deficiency at advanced growth stages on soils with marginal B availability. Hence, we compared the effects of B resupply via roots and leaves on [...] Read more.

Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) is a high-boron (B)-demanding crop, and initially, normal growing plants might show B deficiency at advanced growth stages on soils with marginal B availability. Hence, we compared the effects of B resupply via roots and leaves on growth and physiological response, and relative expression of B transporters in B-deficient oilseed rape plants. Four-week-old plants initially grown with inadequate B (1 µM B for the first two weeks and 0.25 µM B for the next two weeks) were later grown either as such with 0.25 µM B, with 25 µM B in nutrient solution or foliar sprayed with 7 mL of 30, 60 and 150 mM B solution plant⁻¹ as boric acid. Plants grown with 25 µM B in the nutrient solution from the beginning were included as adequate B treatment. Results showed that B resupply to B-deficient plants via roots and leaves (60 mM B) equally improved root and shoot dry matter, but not to the level of plants grown with adequate B supply. Foliar-applied 150 mM B proved toxic, causing leaf burn but not affecting dry matter. Resupply of B via roots increased B concentration in roots and leaves, while leaf-applied B did so only in leaves. Net carbon assimilation had a positive relationship with dry matter accumulation. Except for the highest foliar B level, B resupply via roots and leaves increased the accumulation of glucose, fructose and sucrose in leaves. Boron-deficient plants showed significant upregulation of BnaNIP5;1 in leaves and roots and of BnaBOR1;2 in roots. Boron resupply via roots reversed the B-deficiency-induced upregulation of BnaNIP5;1 in roots, whereas the expression of BnaBOR1;2 was reversed by both root and foliar B resupply. In leaves, B resupply by both methods reversed the expression of BnaNIP5;1 to the level of B-adequate plants. It is concluded that B resupply to B-deficient plants via roots and leaves equally but partially corrected B deficiency in B. napus grown in hydroponics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular, Metabolic and Physiological Responses to Boron Stress in Higher Plants)

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Review

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25 pages, 1323 KiB

Open AccessReview

What Can Boron Deficiency Symptoms Tell Us about Its Function and Regulation?

by Luis Bolaños, Isidro Abreu, Ildefonso Bonilla, Juan J. Camacho-Cristóbal and María Reguera

Plants 2023, 12(4), 777; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12040777 - 09 Feb 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3926

Abstract

On the eve of the 100th anniversary of Dr. Warington’s discovery of boron (B) as a nutrient essential for higher plants, “boronists” have struggled to demonstrate a role beyond its structural function in cell walls dimerizing pectin molecules of rhamnogalacturonan II [...] Read more.

On the eve of the 100th anniversary of Dr. Warington’s discovery of boron (B) as a nutrient essential for higher plants, “boronists” have struggled to demonstrate a role beyond its structural function in cell walls dimerizing pectin molecules of rhamnogalacturonan II (RGII). In this regard, B deficiency has been associated with a plethora of symptoms in plants that include macroscopic symptoms like growth arrest and cell death and biochemical or molecular symptoms that include changes in cell wall pore size, apoplast acidification, or a steep ROS production that leads to an oxidative burst. Aiming to shed light on B functions in plant biology, we proposed here a unifying model integrating the current knowledge about B function(s) in plants to explain why B deficiency can cause such remarkable effects on plant growth and development, impacting crop productivity. In addition, based on recent experimental evidence that suggests the existence of different B ligands other than RGII in plant cells, namely glycolipids, and glycoproteins, we proposed an experimental pipeline to identify putative missing ligands and to determine how they would integrate into the above-mentioned model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular, Metabolic and Physiological Responses to Boron Stress in Higher Plants)

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13 pages, 1780 KiB

Open AccessReview

Citrus Physiological and Molecular Response to Boron Stresses

by Lin-Tong Yang, Jun-Feng Pan, Neng-Jing Hu, Huan-Huan Chen, Huan-Xin Jiang, Yi-Bin Lu and Li-Song Chen

Plants 2022, 11(1), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11010040 - 23 Dec 2021

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 4208

Abstract

Since the essentiality of boron (B) to plant growth was reported nearly one century ago, the implication of B in physiological performance, productivity and quality of agricultural products, and the morphogenesis of apical meristem in plants has widely been studied. B stresses (B [...] Read more.

Since the essentiality of boron (B) to plant growth was reported nearly one century ago, the implication of B in physiological performance, productivity and quality of agricultural products, and the morphogenesis of apical meristem in plants has widely been studied. B stresses (B deficiency and toxicity), which lead to atrophy of canopy and deterioration of Citrus fruits, have long been discovered in citrus orchards. This paper reviews the research progress of B stresses on Citrus growth, photosynthesis, light use efficiency, nutrient absorption, organic acid metabolism, sugar metabolism and relocation, and antioxidant system. Moreover, the beneficial effects of B on plant stress tolerance and further research in this area were also discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular, Metabolic and Physiological Responses to Boron Stress in Higher Plants)

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