Effects of phosphate availability on the root system architecture: large‐scale analysis of the natural variation between Arabidopsis accessions

• Published in: Plant, cell and environment Vol. 26; no. 11; pp. 1839 - 1850
• Main Authors: CHEVALIER, F., PATA, M., NACRY, P., DOUMAS, P., ROSSIGNOL, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01.11.2003; Blackwell; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: accessions; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Arabidopsis; Arabidopsis thaliana; Biological and medical sciences; Ecology, environment; Economic plant physiology; Europe; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; geographical variation; Growth and development; Life Sciences; Morphogenesis, differentiation, rhizogenesis, tuberization. Senescence; natural variation; nutrient availability; nutrient deficiencies; phosphate availability; phosphorus; plant architecture; plant growth; Plant growth. Development of the storage organs; Plant physiology and development; root system architecture; root systems; roots; Vegetative apparatus, growth and morphogenesis. Senescence; Europe; Phosphates; Genetic variability; Growth; Available nutrient; Rhizogenesis; Environmental factor; Inorganic element; Arabidopsis thaliana; Cruciferae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Habitat; Intraspecific comparison; Starvation; Nutrition; Root; Arabidopsis; Deficiency; natural variation; root system architecture; phosphate availability; Plant architecture; accessions; Nutrient; Above ground plant part; Spermatophyta; Experimental plant; architecture de la plante; racine; physiologie végétale; biodisponibilité; inorganic phosphates; phosphate; kjeldahl method; technique analytique; root systems; bioavailability; root; système racinaire; plant architecture; arabidopsis thaliana
• ISSN: 0140-7791; 1365-3040
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-3040.2003.01100.x

ABSTRACT Developmental plasticity is one main adaptative response of plants to the availability of nutrients. In the present study, the naturally occurring variation existing in Arabidopsis for the growth responses to phosphate availability was investigated. Initially details of the effects of phosphate starvation for the four currently used accessions Cvi, Col, Ler and Ws were compared. A set of 10 growth parameters, concerning the aerial part and the root system, was measured in both single‐point and time‐course experiments. The length of the primary root and the number of laterals were found to be consistently reduced by phosphate starvation in all four accessions. These two robust parameters were selected to further screen a set of 73 accessions originating from a wide range of habitats. One‐half of the accessions showed also a reduced primary root and less lateral roots when phosphate‐starved, and 25% were not responsive to phosphate availability. For the last quarter of accessions, phosphate starvation was found to affect only one of the two growth parameters, indicating the occurrence of different adaptative strategies. These accessions appear to offer new tools to investigate the molecular basis of the corresponding growth responses to phosphate availability.