Ethylene is an endogenous stimulator of cell division in the cambial meristem of Populus

Abstract

The plant hormone ethylene is an important signal in plant growth responses to environmental cues. In vegetative growth, ethylene is generally considered as a regulator of cell expansion, but a role in the control of meristem growth has also been suggested based on pharmacological experiments and ethylene-overproducing mutants. In this study, we used transgenic ethylene-insensitive and ethylene-overproducing hybrid aspen (Populus tremula x tremuloides) in combination with experiments using an ethylene perception inhibitor [1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP)] to demonstrate that endogenous ethylene produced in response to leaning stimulates cell division in the cambial meristem. This ethylene-controlled growth gives rise to the eccentricity of Populus stems that is formed in association with tension wood.

Keywords

plant hormones; secondary xylem; tension wood; vascular cambium; wood development

Published in

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
2009, volume: 106, number: 14, pages: 5984-5989

SLU Authors

• Love, Jonathan

  • Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Björklund, Simon

  • Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Sundberg, Björn

  • Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Forest Science

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0811660106

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/28551