Deeper roots sequester more carbon
Breeding crops with roots a metre deeper in the ground could lower atmospheric CO2 levels dramatically, with significant environmental benefits, according to research by a leading University of Manchester scientist, published in Annals of Botany.
Plants supply us – and other organisms – with many solid resources, e.g. food, medicines, shelter, drinks. Something that is more intangible – but no less important for that – is the inspiration plants provide in the field of biomimetics (biomimicry), ‘the examination of nature, its models, systems, processes, and elements to emulate or take inspiration from in order to solve human problems’. The latest example from the plant world concerns hydration-dependent opening of the seed capsules of the ice plant Delosperma nakurense, studied by Matthew Harrington et al. (Nature Communications 2: 337; doi:10.1038/ncomms1336). In language not usually seen in connection with biological phenomena, the team found that ‘this reversible origami-like folding pattern proceeds via a cooperative flexing-and-packing mechanism actuated by a swellable cellulose layer filling specialized plant cells…’, which is ‘…translated into a bidirectional organ movement through simple geometric constraints embedded in the hierarchical architecture of the ice plant valves’. Is it just me who thinks that this style of expression takes away some of the magic and mystery inherent in the natural phenomenon itself? Be that as it may, musing on the relevance of this phenomenon, the group propose that: ‘Extracted principles from this reliable and reversible actuated movement have relevance to the emerging field of “programmable matter” with applications as far-reaching as the design of satellites and artificial muscles’. Ice-plant-inspired artificial muscles? Extra-terrestrial satellites? A scientific paper illustrated with genuine origami figures? Now that really is ‘cool’ (and maybe just a bit magical?)! On a related note, researchers at the University of Michigan and Penn State University (both USA) are exploring the biomimetic potential of the aptly named sensitive plant (Mimosa pudica) – which ‘drops’ its leaflets when touched – to develop a new class of adaptive structures ‘designed to twist, bend, stiffen and even heal themselves’. And – in a 21st Century take on a much older idea – Evan Ulrich and co-workers (Bioinspiration & Biomimetics 5: 045009; doi:10.1088/1748-3182/5/4/045009) have designed remote-controlled robotic versions of ‘samaras’, the helicopter (strictly, monocopter)-like fruits of certain trees such as those of the Acer genus. Ulrich plans to develop the technology for applications in satellite communications and 3-D mapping (http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-01-robotic-tree-helicopter-video.html). For those who want to find out more about plant-inspired engineering solutions, I recommend Felix Paturi’s book Nature, the mother of invention . [And in case you were wondering, origami is NOT the Japanese art of botanicomimetics.]
It being such a rare TV event these days, I have to ensure that everybody is aware of the recent series on BBC4 (a digital channel from the UK’s British Broadcasting Corporation), Botany: A Blooming History. It was a three-parter presented by Timothy Walker, Director of the University of Oxford’s Botanic Garden, and it dealt with … BOTANY! True, it was ‘hidden away’ on a non-mainstream TV channel, but such programmes do have a habit of appearing on the major BBC channels subsequently, where they could reach a bigger audience. The triplet consisted of: (1) ‘A confusion of names’, which really grabbed the bull by the horns in delving into 300 years of the mysteries of plant taxonomy and gave a long-overdue mention to Thomas Fairchild who created the world’s first artificial plant hybrid in the early 18th century; (2) ‘Photosynthesis’, which demystified the process and shows how far we’ve come from the notion that plants grew by ‘eating’ soil; and (3) ‘Hidden world’, which explored the world of plant genetics (which may yet be the world-population’s life-saving science). Not since David Attenborough’s Private Life of Plants BBC series in 1995 have we really had hard core botany on the box in the UK. To a great extent, Attenborough’s series relied on time-lapse photography to speed up plant activities so they could be appreciated better (and maybe seen as more animal-like entities?). Walker eschewed such ’gimmickry’ but presented interesting plant biology (botany) in a straightforward, not-sensationalist way and did it well. I was particularly impressed by the photosynthesis episode – what was especially strong for me were the historical dimensions of how the process was slowly understood; the Benson–Calvin story was particularly illuminating. Although Walker’s programmes are no longer available for viewing on the BBC website – and not that this column can encourage or condone such activities – you may be able to ‘source’ copies on the interweb. I for one applaud this quite brave venture by the ‘Beeb’: more please, ‘Auntie’! Let’s hope botany at the BBC may yet help stem the haemorrhage of botanists in the UK. (I’ve heard rumours that the BBC is currently planning a new major botany TV series…).
In recent years (since I got the bug), my holidays have included orchid-hunting as a compulsory element! On a recent visit to Jersey, I came unstuck as by the end of a rather dry July, the wild orchid season on the island was pretty much over. Fortunately, the Eric Young Orchid Foundation was high on my list of places to visit, which did much to compensate:
The site is primarily a commercial nursery (with RHS Chelsea Flower show gold medals galore), but oddly, no plant sales (perhaps that’s a good thing 
)
If you like orchids and you’re ever on Jersey, a must see.
A.J. Cann
These are links from our Scoop It page between July 27th and July 30th:
The rare South African iris (Lapeirousia oreogena) has a ring of six stunning purple petals, atop an equally vivid straw-like stem. The petals have white marks, which look like arrows pointing towards the centre of the flower. And that’s exactly what they are.
Largest-ever Map of Interactions of Plant Proteins Produced
An international consortium of scientists has produced the first systematic network map of interactions that occur between proteins in the plant Arabidopsis thaliana. (Arabidopsis is a mustard plant that has 27,000 proteins and serves as a popular model organism for biological studies of plants, analogous to lab rats that serve as popular model organisms for biological studies of animals.)
Any guesses ? 
Plant has a bat beckoning beacon
A rainforest vine has evolved dish-shaped leaves to attract the bats that pollinate it. The leaves were supremely efficient at bouncing back the sound pulses the flying mammals used to navigate. When the leaves were present the bats located the plant twice as quickly as when these echoing leaves were removed. The study is the first to find a plant with "specialised acoustic features" to help bat pollinators find them using sound.
Plants generate effective responses to infection by recognizing both conserved and variable pathogen-encoded molecules. Pathogens deploy virulence effector proteins into host cells, where they interact physically with host proteins to modulate defense. We generated an interaction network of plant-pathogen effectors from two pathogens spanning the eukaryote-eubacteria divergence, three classes of Arabidopsis immune system proteins, and ~8000 other Arabidopsis proteins. We noted convergence of effectors onto highly interconnected host proteins and indirect, rather than direct, connections between effectors and plant immune receptors. We demonstrated plant immune system functions for 15 of 17 tested host proteins that interact with effectors from both pathogens. Thus, pathogens from different kingdoms deploy independently evolved virulence proteins that interact with a limited set of highly connected cellular hubs to facilitate their diverse life-cycle strategies.
Outcomes of the 2011 Botanical Nomenclature Section at the XVIII International Botanical Congress
The Nomenclature Section held with the 18th International Botanical Congress in Melbourne, Australia in July 2011 saw sweeping changes to the way scientists name new plants, algae, and fungi. The changes begin on the cover: the title was broadened to make explicit that the Code applies not only to plants, but also to algae and fungi. The new title will now be the International code for nomenclature of algae, fungi, and plants. For the first time in history the Code will allow for the electronic publication of names of new taxa. In an effort to make the publication of new names more accurate and efficient, the requirement for a Latin validating diagnosis or description was changed to allow either English or Latin for these essential components of the publication of a new name. Both of these latter changes will take effect on 1 January 2012. The nomenclatural rules for fungi will see several important changes, the most important of which is probably the adoption of the principle of “one fungus, one name.” Paleobotanists will also see changes with the elimination of the concept of “morphotaxa” from the Code.
The new measurement frontier – Citations and impact factors are old hat
We write academic blogs; the backchannel of conferences is played out through Twitter; and reference managers such as Mendeley manage a library of close to 100 million papers for more than 1 million academics. All of this activity indicates impact. What is more, because it is on the web, we can observe and measure it.
Source verification of mis-identified Arabidopsis thaliana accessions – Anastasio et al
Arabidopsis thaliana has a large number of naturally occurring inbred lines. There is a robust pattern of isolation by distance at several spatial scales, such that genetically identical individuals are generally found close to each other. However, some individual accessions deviate from this pattern. While some of these may be the products of rare long-distance dispersal events, many deviations may be the result of mis-identification. Of the 5965 accessions examined, 286 are potentially mis-identified. We describe these suspicious accessions and their possible origins. Finally, we discuss possibilities for maintaining the integrity of stock lines.
Patrick Schnable gives Capitol Hill seminar on the future of our food
Patrick Schnable addressed a crowd in a hearing room for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture. The seminar, entitled "Mapping for the future of our food,” focused on the importance of public sector funding of plant science research and development in boosting crop yields amid increasing demands for plant-based products including food, feed, fiber, and fuel. Schnable called for innovation in addressing potential challenges, namely decreasing amounts of arable land, increasing costs and undesirable ecological impacts of agricultural inputs, and coping with climate variability.
Talking Plants: International Botanical Congress in Melbourne all a twitter
#IBC18 Blogged by conference chair Tim Entwisle
Catharanthus roseus (Madagascar periwinkle) is widely known for its pharmacologically important alkaloids, as well as being a popular ornamental plant. Shokeen et al. use SSR and gene-targeted markers to construct a framework linkage map of the species, which will serve as a foundation for future genomics studies related to quantitative trait locus analysis and molecular breeding in C. roseus.
Since the discovery in its cell walls of mixed-linkage glucans previously only found in Poales, Equisetum has received a lot of attention. Leroux et al. show that the carinal canals in E. ramosissimum have a distinctive lining containing pectic homogalacturonan, cellulose, xyloglucan and extensin. They propose that these canals function as water-conducting channels and that extensins play important roles in their development and/or function.
Lichens don't like it as much as they used to...
… that blows nobody any good” is an old English idiom that suggests that most bad things that happen have a good result for someone, somewhere. And Markus Hauck and colleagues in Göttingen, Germany, have illustrated this nicely – and rather literally – with some work looking at lichens growing in forests in Germany. In the days before global warming hit the headlines, “acid rain” was the big environmental concern in Europe, with westerly winds from the Atlantic picking up polluted air from industrialised regions (of the UK in particular) and blowing it up across Scandinavia and northern Germany, where it would be washed out in rainfall. This was a time when the UK was fuelled by coal, and that coal contained a lot of sulphur – so the smoke was heavy in sulphur dioxide, which dissolved in the clouds to produce the aforementioned “acid rain”. From the early 1980s onwards, there was widespread concern that large areas of forests in northern Europe were being damaged and public concern led to legislation to reduce pollution. The result has been that over the last 20 years sulphur dioxide emissions have fallen back to levels not seen since the early days of industrialisation in the 19th century. But what Markus Hauck and his team have found is that one of Europe’s most common lichens, Lecanora conizaeoides, actually quite liked this “ill wind”, as it thrives in acidic conditions. Their study in the Harz Mountains of northern Germany shows that the lichen has undergone a dramatic decrease in abundance within only 15 years, from being the most dominant species of its type to a point where it can now be described as rare. Their analysis suggests that this is attributable to just a very slight decrease in the acidity of the bark on the trees on which the lichen lives, a change of only 0.4 pH units. To put that into context, that is about half the difference in acidity that you would find between a glass of orange juice and one of tomato juice. So for this lichen at least, a fair wind is not as welcome as an ill one. Full details of the work can be found in the August issue of Annals of Botany.
There are several studies suggesting that tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) chromoplasts arise from chloroplasts, but are no reports showing the actual transition. Egea et al. use in situ real-time recording of pigment fluorescence to produce a video showing all chromoplasts arising from chloroplasts in mesocarp tissue. The accumulation of carotenoids is rather synchronous for all plastids in a cell, and more sudden that chlorophyll breakdown. Isolated intermediate plastids are shown to contain both carotenoids and chlorophylls.
Rice coleoptiles rapidly elongate when seeds germinate under submergence, but not in the alcohol dehydrogenase 1 (ADH1)-deficient mutant, reduced adh activity (rad). Takahashi et al. find that cell division as well as elongation occur during coleoptile elongation under submergence, and that both are reduced in the mutant, probably as a result of reduced ATP generation caused by the ADN1 deficiency.
