Abstract
The primary symptom of aluminium (Al) toxicity in higher plants is inhibition of root growth. In this study, we investigated the spatial sensitivity of maize (Zea mays L.) roots to Al. A divided-chamber technique indicated that only exposure of the terminal 10 to 15 mm of the root to Al resulted in inhibition of growth. Application of Al to all but this apical region of the root had little or no effect on growth for 24 h and caused minimal damage to the root tissue. Small agar blocks infused with Al were then applied to discrete areas of the apex of maize roots to determine which section (root cap, meristem or elongation zone) was more important to Al-induced inhibition of growth. The terminal 2·0 to 3·0 mm of root (root cap and meristem) must be exposed to Al for inhibition. Application of Al to the 3·0 mm of root proximal to this terminal zone (elongation zone) resulted in damage to the root tissue but no significant inhibition of growth. Therefore, the visible injuries incurred by roots during Al-stress are not associated directly with the inhibition of root growth. Furthermore, removal of the root cap had no effect on the Al-induced inhibition of root growth in solution experiments and argues against the root cap providing protection from Al stress or serving an essential role in the mechanism of toxicity. We suggest that the meristem is the primary site of Al-toxicity.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Al exposure of the terminal 10 to 15 mm inhibited maize root growth.
- Organ / stage
- roote0
- Treatment
- exposure of the terminal 10 to 15 mm of the root to Ale0
- Outcome
- growthe0
- Direction
- inhibitione0
- Value
- 10 to 15 mme0
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“only exposure of the terminal 10 to 15 mm of the root to Al resulted in inhibition of growth.”
t0“maize (Zea mays L.) roots”
Claim · model-written summary
Al application outside the apical region had little or no growth effect for 24 h.
- Treatment
- Application of Al to all but this apical region of the roote0
- Outcome
- growthe0
- Direction
- little or no effecte0
- Value
- 24 he0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Application of Al to all but this apical region of the root had little or no effect on growth for 24 h”
t0“maize (Zea mays L.) roots”
Claim · model-written summary
The same nonapical Al exposure caused minimal root tissue damage.
- Treatment
- Application of Al to all but this apical region of the roote0
- Outcome
- damage to the root tissuee0
- Direction
- minimale0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Application of Al to all but this apical region of the root had little or no effect on growth for 24 h and caused minimal damage to the root tissue.”
t0“maize (Zea mays L.) roots”
Claim · model-written summary
Al exposure of the terminal 2·0 to 3·0 mm was required for growth inhibition.
- Organ / stage
- root cap and meristeme0
- Treatment
- exposed to Ale0
- Outcome
- inhibitione0
- Direction
- inhibitione0
- Value
- 2·0 to 3·0 mme0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The terminal 2·0 to 3·0 mm of root (root cap and meristem) must be exposed to Al for inhibition.”
t0“maize (Zea mays L.) roots”
Claim · model-written summary
Al exposure of the elongation zone damaged root tissue.
- Organ / stage
- elongation zonee0
- Treatment
- Application of Al to the 3·0 mm of root proximal to this terminal zonee0
- Outcome
- damage to the root tissuee0
- Direction
- damagee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Application of Al to the 3·0 mm of root proximal to this terminal zone (elongation zone) resulted in damage to the root tissue”
t0“maize (Zea mays L.) roots”
Claim · model-written summary
Al exposure of the elongation zone did not significantly inhibit growth.
- Organ / stage
- elongation zonee0
- Treatment
- Application of Al to the 3·0 mm of root proximal to this terminal zonee0
- Outcome
- growthe0
- Direction
- no significant inhibitione0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Application of Al to the 3·0 mm of root proximal to this terminal zone (elongation zone) resulted in damage to the root tissue but no significant inhibition of growth.”
t0“maize (Zea mays L.) roots”
Claim · model-written summary
Root cap removal did not alter Al-induced growth inhibition.
- Treatment
- removal of the root cape0
- Outcome
- Al-induced inhibition of root growthe0
- Direction
- no effecte0
- Setting
- solution experimentse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“removal of the root cap had no effect on the Al-induced inhibition of root growth in solution experiments”
t0“maize (Zea mays L.) roots”
Claim · model-written summary
The meristem was proposed as the primary Al toxicity site.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“We suggest that the meristem is the primary site of Al-toxicity.”
t0“maize (Zea mays L.) roots”
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Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.