Am. J. Bot. Join BSA Today!
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (5)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Friedman, H.
Right arrow Articles by Philosoph-Hadas, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Friedman, H.
Right arrow Articles by Philosoph-Hadas, S.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Friedman, H.
Right arrow Articles by Philosoph-Hadas, S.
(American Journal of Botany. 2003;90:849-856.)
© 2003 Botanical Society of America, Inc.

Physiology and Development

Characterization of the asymmetric growth of gravistimulated snapdragon spikes by stem and cell dimension analyses1

Haya Friedman2, Shimon Meir2, Abraham H. Halevy3 and Sonia Philosoph-Hadas2,4

2Department of Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel; 3The Kennedy-Leigh Centre for Horticultural Research, Faculty of Agriculture, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel

Growth patterns of detached spikes of gravistimulated snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus L.) were analyzed in detail. The length increment of 5-mm marked subsections in the upper and lower flanks of the stem-bending zone was measured during gravistimulation using time-lapse photographs. At the onset of bending, a negative relative growth rate of the upper flank was detected, followed by increased relative growth rate in both lower and upper flanks. Consequently, a differential stem growth pattern was obtained during gravistimulation, which was significantly and specifically abolished by calcium antagonists reported previously to inhibit stem curvature of snapdragon. The differential growth patterns resulted from dynamic modifications of the cell dimensions in the epidermal and cortical stem layers. Bending started with both shrinking and widening of the epidermal cells and a parallel decrease in length and height of cortical cells at the upper stem flank. These changes were accompanied with a concomitant increase in length and height of the cortical cells on the lower stem flank, followed by a growth increase of epidermal cells. Our results suggest that both the epidermal and cortical cells play an important role in gravitropic shoot bending of snapdragon.

Key Words: Antirrhinum majus cut spikes • bending zone • calcium antagonists • cortex • epidermis cells • lower and upper flanks • relative growth rate • shrinkage






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2003 by the Botanical Society of America, Inc.