Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Resting Potential Decay

Resting Potential Decay

The resting membrane potential of a neuron (-70mV) is sustained due to the selective ion permeability of the membrane. At the resting potential, the membrane is slightly permeable to ions like sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl−) and highly permeable to potassium ions (K+). Differences in the ions' concentration inside the cell compared to the outside are maintained by membrane transport proteins like channels and pumps.
At rest, the K+ is the main ion that moves across the membrane through...

Resting Potential Decay

Resting Potential Decay

The resting membrane potential of a neuron (-70mV) is sustained due to the selective ion permeability of the membrane. At the resting potential, the membrane is slightly permeable to ions like sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl−) and highly permeable to potassium ions (K+). Differences in the ions' concentration inside the cell compared to the outside are maintained by membrane transport proteins like channels and pumps.
At rest, the K+ is the main ion that moves across the membrane through...

Responses to Gravity and Touch

Responses to Gravity and Touch

Gravitropism: Plant Responses to Gravity

Microbial Mats

Microbial Mats

Microbial communities forming biofilms and mats represent complex, spatially structured ecosystems where metabolic processes are stratified according to light, oxygen, and nutrient gradients. Biofilms are initial colonization stages, only a few millimeters thick, while mature microbial mats can reach centimeter-scale thickness and display intricate vertical organization. Their structural and functional heterogeneity allows microorganisms to occupy distinct ecological niches within a few...

Water and Mineral Acquisition

Water and Mineral Acquisition

Specialized tissues in plant roots have evolved to capture water, minerals, and some ions from the soil. Roots exhibit a variety of branching patterns that facilitate this process. The outermost root cells have specialized structures called root hairs that increase the root surface, thus increasing soil contact. Water can passively cross into roots, as the concentration of water in the soil is higher than that of the root tissue. Minerals, in contrast, are actively transported into root cells.

Chemotaxis in E. coli

Chemotaxis in E. coli

Chemotaxis in Escherichia coli is a sensory-driven motility mechanism that enables bacteria to navigate chemical gradients, moving toward beneficial environments while avoiding harmful conditions. This process relies on a signal transduction system integrating external chemical cues with flagellar motor control.Chemoreceptors and Signal DetectionE. coli detects chemical gradients through methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs), which are membrane-bound chemoreceptors that sense attractants...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Single-cell analyses identify the ginseng embryonic protoderm as a native compartment for high-efficiency ginsenoside production.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Auxin response and PIN-mediated transport in chlorophyte algae.

Journal of integrative plant biology·2026

Same author

Calcium-triggered apoplastic ROS bursts balance gravity and mechanical signals for soil navigation.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026

Same author

Poly I:C-induced maternal immune activation causes schizophrenia- like memory and prepulse inhibition deficits in the offspring by upregulating IL-6.

Brain research bulletin·2026

Same author

PanGraphRNA: An efficient and flexible bioinformatics platform for graph pangenome-based RNA-seq data analysis.

Journal of integrative plant biology·2026

Same author

Imaging and genetic toolbox to study Arabidopsis embryogenesis.

The New phytologist·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2026

A Method to Preserve Wetland Roots and Rhizospheres for Elemental Imaging

A Method to Preserve Wetland Roots and Rhizospheres for Elemental Imaging

Published on: February 15, 2021

Roots navigate around decay regions by sensing local pH gradients.

Zhulatai Bao¹, Huihui Wang¹, Ai Zhang¹

¹State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, College of Life Science, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|July 9, 2026

Summary

Roots can now avoid decaying matter thanks to "saprotropism." This newly discovered plant growth response uses chemical signals from microbial decomposition to guide root bending away from hostile soil environments.

More Related Videos

A Simple Protocol for Mapping the Plant Root System Architecture Traits

A Simple Protocol for Mapping the Plant Root System Architecture Traits

Published on: February 10, 2023

Lateral Diffusion and Exocytosis of Membrane Proteins in Cultured Neurons Assessed using Fluorescence Recovery and Fluorescence-loss Photobleaching

Lateral Diffusion and Exocytosis of Membrane Proteins in Cultured Neurons Assessed using Fluorescence Recovery and Fluorescence-loss Photobleaching

Published on: February 29, 2012

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 12, 2026

A Method to Preserve Wetland Roots and Rhizospheres for Elemental Imaging

A Method to Preserve Wetland Roots and Rhizospheres for Elemental Imaging

Published on: February 15, 2021

A Simple Protocol for Mapping the Plant Root System Architecture Traits

A Simple Protocol for Mapping the Plant Root System Architecture Traits

Published on: February 10, 2023

Lateral Diffusion and Exocytosis of Membrane Proteins in Cultured Neurons Assessed using Fluorescence Recovery and Fluorescence-loss Photobleaching

Lateral Diffusion and Exocytosis of Membrane Proteins in Cultured Neurons Assessed using Fluorescence Recovery and Fluorescence-loss Photobleaching

Published on: February 29, 2012

Area of Science:

Plant biology
Soil science
Microbiology

Background:

Plant tropisms guide root growth in soil.
Biological decay creates challenging microenvironments for plants.

Purpose of the Study:

Identify and characterize a novel root growth response to decaying matter.
Elucidate the signaling mechanisms underlying this response.

Main Methods:

Investigated root bending in response to microbial decomposition.
Analyzed chemical gradients (pH) produced by decaying matter.
Examined the role of root meristem growth factor peptide-receptor signaling and abscisic acid (ABA) distribution.

Main Results:

Discovered
saprotropism,
a root growth response actively bending away from decaying plant material.
Roots sense acidic gradients from fungal decomposition without direct contact.
pH asymmetry is converted to ABA asymmetry, driving decay-avoidant root bending via microtubule reorganization.

Conclusions:

Microbial decay-derived chemical gradients are instructive signals for root navigation.
Saprotropism expands the understanding of microbe-soil-plant communication.
This response allows roots to avoid hostile niches created by decomposition.