Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026

Anaerobic Growth and Maintenance of Mammalian Cell Lines
Published on: July 21, 2018
Local root apex hypoxia induces NO-mediated hypoxic acclimation of the entire root
Sergio Mugnai1, Elisa Azzarello, Frantisek Baluska
1LINV, Department of Plant, Soil and Environmental Science, University of Florence, Viale delle Idee 30, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy.
Abstract:
Roots are very sensitive to hypoxia and adapt effectively to a reduced availability of oxygen in the soil. However, the site of the root where oxygen availability is sensed and how roots acclimate to hypoxia remain unclear. In this study, we found that the root apex transition zone plays central roles in both sensing and adapting to root hypoxia. The exposure of cells of the root apex to hypoxia is sufficient to achieve hypoxic acclimation of the entire root; particularly relevant in this respect is that, of the entire root apex, the transition zone cells show the highest demand for oxygen and also emit the largest amount of nitric oxide (NO). Local root apex-specific oxygen deprivation dramatically inhibits the oxygen influx peak in the transition zone and simultaneously stimulates a local increase in NO emission. The hypoxia-induced efflux of NO is strictly associated with the transition zone and is essential for hypoxic acclimation of the entire root.
Related Concept Videos
Hypoxia
Types of Hypoxia
There are four primary types of hypoxia, each resulting from a different cause:
1. Anemic hypoxia: This type occurs due to insufficient oxygen delivery caused by a lack of red blood cells (RBCs) or RBCs with abnormal or...
Regulation of Angiogenesis and Blood Supply
Primary and Secondary Growth in Roots and Shoots
Acute Respiratory Failure-II
The underlying physiological abnormalities that contribute to hypoxemic respiratory failure include:
Responses to Drought and Flooding
Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

