Abstract Detail

Biotic and abiotic stress

Naik, Eshan [1], Campbell, Malcolm M. [2].

Chemical stimuli shape early seedling growth and development in Arabidopsis under nitrogen limitation.

Plants are unable to escape adverse conditions; consequently, they have evolved mechanisms to contend with fluctuating environmental conditions. For example, plants often experience varying soil nitrogen levels during their life cycle, and adjust growth and development to accommodate these changes. A typical plant response to limiting nitrogen involves an increase in root growth relative to shoot growth, as well as the accumulation of anthocyanin in aerial tissues. As such alterations in development and metabolism have a profound impact on plant growth and survival, as well as productivity in agricultural and forestry settings, there is interest in better understanding the molecular determinants that underpin these responses. Besides conventional genetic methods, a chemical genetics approach can be employed to discover molecular components involved in generating plant responses to altered nitrogen levels. Using a high-throughput screening method, a chemical library was screened to identify chemical perturbagens capable of generating an altered phenotype in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings under limiting nitrogen conditions. It is centred on the premise that prior chemical exposure may simulate a molecular response that subsequently impacts how a seedling contends with low nitrogen growth conditions. By doing so, chemical perturbagens may function as the shaping environment. Following multiple chemical screens, four chemical compounds were identified that appear to pre-condition plant responsiveness to reduced nitrogen, as characterised by differences in root morphology and cotyledon anthocyanin content. These compounds will be further characterized to identify their role in producing an altered phenotype in Arabidopsis seedlings under nitrogen deprivation. Ultimately, a better understanding of plant responses to varying nitrogen levels may help reduce significant costs associated with excessive fertilizer application.

1 - University of Toronto Scarborough, Cell & Systems Biology, SW328, Science Wing, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada
2 - University of Toronto Scarborough, SW328, Science Wing, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada

Keywords:
Abiotic stress
chemical genomics
Acclimation
Arabidopsis thaliana
nitrogen limitation.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Topics
Session: 20
Location: Salon 13/14/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2015
Time: 1:45 PM
Number: 20001
Abstract ID:658
Candidate for Awards:CSPB President's Award for Best Student Presentation,CSPB Travel Bursary