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Lignin deposition in chickpea root xylem under drought.
Nilesh Kumar Sharma1, Santosh Kumar Gupta1, Vikas Dwivedi1
1National Institute of Plant Genome Research , New Delhi, India.
Plant Signaling & Behavior
|April 16, 2020
Summary
Chickpea roots grow longer under drought, unlike Arabidopsis. Drought increases lignin in chickpea roots, with altered Laccase gene expression, suggesting a drought response mechanism.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Agricultural Science
Background:
- Laccase2 (LAC2) negatively regulates lignin in Arabidopsis roots.
- MicroRNA 397b regulates LAC2 mRNA, responding to water and phosphate deficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate chickpea root growth and lignin deposition under drought.
- Explore the role of Laccase genes in chickpea drought response.
Main Methods:
- Soil-grown chickpea plants subjected to natural drought conditions.
- Measurement of primary root length and lignin content.
- Gene expression analysis of six Laccase genes.
Main Results:
- Chickpea roots increased in length under low soil moisture, contrasting Arabidopsis.
- Lignin content increased in primary roots, confirmed by xylem staining.
- Drought enhanced expression of four Laccase genes and downregulated two.
Conclusions:
- Chickpea exhibits distinct root growth responses to drought compared to Arabidopsis.
- Lignin deposition in chickpea root xylem increases during drought.
- Altered Laccase gene expression suggests a role in chickpea drought-induced lignin deposition.
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