Salt,Drought Stress...
Salt,Drought Stresses etc.
Specific Areas:
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Study of plant response to stress conditions, physiological regulation mechanisms of signal transduction pathways
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Screening of the stress-resistant varieties of crops,
Drought, cold, high temperature, waterlogging, salinity, pests and diseases, and chemical pollutants etc. are just partial of adverse factors the plants has to cope with.NMT presents a new way to study how the plants is adjusting themselves with monitoring flux activities of H+ , Ca2+, K+, of Na+, Cl-, and O2 etc.
Examples
(1)NMT reveals the mechanism why one plant specie has higher salt resistance than the other.
Sun J, et al. Plant Physiology, 2009, 149: 1141-1153
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(2)Direct measurement of PM H+-ATPase activities via H+ fluxes
Anja T.Fuglsang, et al. Plant Cell, 2007, 19:1617-1634
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Photosynthesis/Respiration
Photosynthesis and Respiration in Plants
Specific Areas:
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Mechanism of Photosynthesis
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Mechanism of Respiration in Plants
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Screening of Plants with High Photosynthesis Efficiency
Plant leaf morphology, mesophyll cell growth conditions, lights and other factors have direct impacts on the efficiency of photosynthesis. Meanwhile, in order to maintain the fundamental functions of all cells, exchanges of ions and/or molecules, e.g. K+,H+,Cl-,O2 etc. with external environments are crucial.
Respiration is an essential process for both animals and plants by consuming O2 and producing energy while the energy is stored in the form of maintaining a proton (H+) gradient across the plasma membrane.
Therefore, being able to measure ionic/molecular fluxes of K+,H+,Cl-,O2 etc. directly, non-invasively, in situ, in vivo and in real time, NMT is an ideal tool to study both photosynthesis and respiration in plants.
Examples:
(1)Using the NMT, extracellular oxygen and proton fluxes from Spirogyra grevilleana were measured. When the cell was illuminated, oxygen showed a net efflux and protons showed a net influx . These measurements provided a new insight in our understanding of basic cellular physiology in plant photosynthesis.
Refference: PorterfieldDM and Smith PJS. Protoplasma, 2000, 212: 80-88
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(2)Using the NMT, extracellular oxygen and proton fluxes from pollen tube were measured. O2 influxes and H+ effluxes were detected in the region of condensed mitochodria.
Reference: Xu Y, et al. Journal of integrative plant biology, 2006, 48: 823-831.
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Develop & Regulations
Development and its Regulations
Specific Areas:
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Study the mechanisms of regulation of plant development
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Study the roles of auxin, gibberellin, abscisic acid, ethylene and other plant hormones
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Study stress phenomena in plant development
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Signal transduction
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Looking for mechanisms to promote the rapid growth and development of crops
Plant growth and development is a complex process, accompanied by active metabolism and exchanges of various substances with the outside world, it starts from seed germination, root, leave differentiations, growth and maturation, flowering, reproduction and finally aging and death. Therefore, detection of fluxes of H+, Ca2+, K+, Cl- and Mg2 +, O2 etc. provides a indispensable way to understand the plant growth and development and how they are regulated.
Examples
(1)Ca2+ influxes were affected by NO stimulator or suppressor
Wang Yuhua, et al. New Phytologist, 2009, 182: 851-862.
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(2)Cl- fluxes are correlated with pollen tube growth
Laura Zonia, et al. Plant Cell, 2002, 14: 2233-2249
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Microbial Interactions
Microbial Interactions
Specific Areas:
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Mechanism of plant and microbial interactions
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Plant signal transduction in fungal infection process
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Plant mycorrhizal study
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Plant nitrogen fixation
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Allelopathy
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Fungal development
To study the interactions between microbes and plants, microbes and microbes, microbes and other organisms etc. is crucial to understand symbiotic, antagonistic and parasitic etc. Since most of the interactions are mediated by activities of various ions and molecules, NMT, which can detect minute dynamic fluxes of these ions/molecules in real time and non-invasively, provides a innovative tools to uncover these interaction processes.
Examples:
(1)Characteristics of H+ fluxes during fungal development, and are subject to the regulation of nutrient absorption
Ramos AC,et al. New Phytologist, 2008, 178: 177-188.
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(2)Ca2+effluxes present after infected by P. syringae pv syringae
Nemchinov LG, et al. Plant Cell and Physiology, 2008, 49: 40-46.
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Signal Transductions
Signal Transductions
(3)Mycorrhizal is a typical host plant - fungal symbiotic interactions, plant nutrient uptake and growth are accelerated by fungal infection, which is also dependent on the pH.
Ramos AC, et al. New Phytologist, 2009, 181: 448-462.
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Plant nutrition
Plant nutrition
Specific Areas:
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Mechanism of crop nutrient absorption
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Looking for substances that can regulate nutrient absorption
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Screening crops
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Evaluation of the effect of fertilizer
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Develop guidance of rational fertilization process
In order to survive and grow, Plants need a large number of N, P and K and other nutrients from the environment, these nutrients are often in the forms of NH4+, of NO3-, K,+ influxes near the surface of the roots. Meanwhile, fluxes of other ions and/or molecules, such as Ca2 +, H+ and O2 etc. are also important to regulate those nutrients absorption process.
Therefore, NMT is a vital tool to study plant nutrition absorption and regulation mechanisms because not only it can measure NH4+, NO3-, of K+, Ca2 + , O2 and H+ etc. but also it provides a way to study them in situ, in vivo, in real time and theoretically no restrictions to the size of your samples.
Examples:
(1)Periodical oscillations of H+, K+ and Ca2+ absorptions have been found in the roots of wheat
ShabalaS, et al. Functional Plant Biology, 2002, 29, 595–605.
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(2)NH4+ and NO3- absorptions are regulated by pH
Garnett TP, et al. Plant and Soil, 2001, 236: 55–62.
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(3)Different effects on NO3- and NH4+absorptions by increase of external on NO3- and NH4+
Reference: Fang YY, et al. Annals of Botany, 2007, 99: 365–370.
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