Gravity amplifies and microgravity decreases circumnutations in Arabidopsis thaliana stems: results from a space experiment

In a microgravity experiment onboard the International Space Station, circumnutations of Arabidopsis thaliana were studied. Plants were cultivated on rotors under a light:dark (LD) cycle of 16 : 8 h, and it was possible to apply controlled centrifugation pulses. Time-lapse images of inflorescence st...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The New phytologist 2009-05, Vol.182 (3), p.621-629
Main Authors: Johnsson, A, Solheim, B.G.B, Iversen, T.-H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arabidopsis - growth & development
Arabidopsis thaliana
circumnutation
Earth, Planet
Extraterrestrial Environment
Gravitropism
Gravity
inflorescence stems
Inflorescences
International Space Station (ISS)
Microgravity
Movement
Nutation
Oscillation
Plant growth
Plant Stems - growth & development
Plants
Rotation
Seeds
Space Flight
Stems
Time Factors
Weightlessness
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Summary:In a microgravity experiment onboard the International Space Station, circumnutations of Arabidopsis thaliana were studied. Plants were cultivated on rotors under a light:dark (LD) cycle of 16 : 8 h, and it was possible to apply controlled centrifugation pulses. Time-lapse images of inflorescence stems (primary, primary axillary and lateral inflorescences) documented the effect of microgravity on the circumnutations. Self-sustained circumnutations of side stems were present in microgravity but amplitudes were mostly very small. In darkness, centrifugation at 0.8 g increased the amplitude by a factor of five to ten. The period at 0.8 g was c. 85 min, in microgravity roughly of the same magnitude. In white light the period decreased to c. 60 min at 0.8 g (microgravity value not measurable). Three-dimensional data showed that under 0.8 g side stems rotated in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions. Circumnutation data for the main stem in light showed a doubling of the amplitude and a longer period at 0.8 g than in microgravity (c. 80 vs 60 min). For the first time, the importance of gravity in amplifying minute oscillatory movements in microgravity into high-amplitude circumnutations was unequivocally demonstrated. The importance of these findings for the modelling of gravity effects on self-sustained oscillatory movements is discussed.
ISSN:0028-646X
1469-8137
DOI:10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.02777.x