Waterlogging Signalling and Tolerance in Plants, 2010
Gas composition inside large woody stems differs significantly from that of the ambient atmospher... more Gas composition inside large woody stems differs significantly from that of the ambient atmosphere because of cellular respiration in the xylem, phloem and cambium. Oxygen is required for oxidative respiration, which under most conditions provides the energy for plant cells. The gaseous environment within the woody stems is enriched in CO 2 and depleted in O 2 as a result of the net effects of respiration, exchange with the atmosphere via diffusion through bark, and exchange with the transpiration stream through the dissolution of gases. ...
Abstract This chapter aims to focus on the physiological aspect of oscillating growth patterns in... more Abstract This chapter aims to focus on the physiological aspect of oscillating growth patterns in rapidly elongating plant organs, such as roots, hypocotyls, shoots, branches and flower stalks. After a brief description of the phenomena, the theories and models proposed to date for circumnutation are reported, focusing largely on the internal oscillator model and the gravitropic overshoot model. The former is derived from the intuition of Charles Darwin, the first to suggest that circumnutatory movements are mediated by an endogenous oscillator, ...
Oxygen influx showed an asymmetry in the transition zone of the root apex when roots were placed ... more Oxygen influx showed an asymmetry in the transition zone of the root apex when roots were placed horizontally on ground. The influx increased only in the upper side, while no changes were detected in the division and in the elongation zone. Nitric oxide (NO) was also monitored after gravistimulation, revealing a sudden burst only in the transition zone. In order to confirm these results in real microgravity conditions, experiments have been set up by using parabolic flights and drop tower. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was also monitored. Oxygen, NO, and ROS were continuously monitored during normal and hyper- and microgravity conditions in roots of maize seedlings. A distinct signal in oxygen and NO fluxes was clearly detected only in the apex zone during microgravity, with no significant changes in normal and in hypergravity conditions. The same results were obtained by ROS measurement. The detrimental effect of D'orenone, disrupting the polarised auxin trans...
Abstract: The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of some abiotic stresses commonly p... more Abstract: The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of some abiotic stresses commonly present in the Mediterranean environment (drought, salinity and negative physical soil properties) on a native Australian species (Callistemon citrinus (Curtis) Stapf), as the introduction of species in a new environment is successful, whenever they are able to overcome peculiar stress conditions. Plants were subjected to salinity stress using tap water added with 200 mM NaCl (23.1 mS cm-1), water stress induced by a reduced irrigation of ...
The influence of repeated applications of tartrate (TAR) and glutamate (GLU) at 50-mmol kg(-1) of... more The influence of repeated applications of tartrate (TAR) and glutamate (GLU) at 50-mmol kg(-1) of soil on Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn distribution between a contaminated soil and Paulownia tomentosa was investigated. TAR and GLU were applied by a single or a double dosage, the latter carried out with an interval between the two applications of thirty days. The comparison of the differences in mean amounts of metals accumulated in the whole plant at the end of single and double TAR and GLU application experiments indicated the positive effect of repeated GLU applications on the accumulation of Cu, Pb, and Zn by Paulownia tomentosa as compared to untreated controls. A similar effect was not observed for the TAR treatments. When soil treated with either TAR or GLU was compared with untreated controls, no significant effect on heavy-metal concentrations in the soil solution was observed 30 days after treatment, suggesting the absence of an increase of the long-term leaching risk of heavy metals in aquifers and surface waters due to the ligand application. A cost analysis of the treatment is also reported.
The task of autonomously anchoring spacecraft on the surface of any celestial body is extremely c... more The task of autonomously anchoring spacecraft on the surface of any celestial body is extremely challenging. Weight restrictions do not allow for massive design; lacking external control calls for compliant drilling behavior. In search for a new concept we investigated biological mechanisms of ground anchoring.
Waterlogging Signalling and Tolerance in Plants, 2010
Gas composition inside large woody stems differs significantly from that of the ambient atmospher... more Gas composition inside large woody stems differs significantly from that of the ambient atmosphere because of cellular respiration in the xylem, phloem and cambium. Oxygen is required for oxidative respiration, which under most conditions provides the energy for plant cells. The gaseous environment within the woody stems is enriched in CO 2 and depleted in O 2 as a result of the net effects of respiration, exchange with the atmosphere via diffusion through bark, and exchange with the transpiration stream through the dissolution of gases. ...
Abstract This chapter aims to focus on the physiological aspect of oscillating growth patterns in... more Abstract This chapter aims to focus on the physiological aspect of oscillating growth patterns in rapidly elongating plant organs, such as roots, hypocotyls, shoots, branches and flower stalks. After a brief description of the phenomena, the theories and models proposed to date for circumnutation are reported, focusing largely on the internal oscillator model and the gravitropic overshoot model. The former is derived from the intuition of Charles Darwin, the first to suggest that circumnutatory movements are mediated by an endogenous oscillator, ...
Oxygen influx showed an asymmetry in the transition zone of the root apex when roots were placed ... more Oxygen influx showed an asymmetry in the transition zone of the root apex when roots were placed horizontally on ground. The influx increased only in the upper side, while no changes were detected in the division and in the elongation zone. Nitric oxide (NO) was also monitored after gravistimulation, revealing a sudden burst only in the transition zone. In order to confirm these results in real microgravity conditions, experiments have been set up by using parabolic flights and drop tower. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was also monitored. Oxygen, NO, and ROS were continuously monitored during normal and hyper- and microgravity conditions in roots of maize seedlings. A distinct signal in oxygen and NO fluxes was clearly detected only in the apex zone during microgravity, with no significant changes in normal and in hypergravity conditions. The same results were obtained by ROS measurement. The detrimental effect of D'orenone, disrupting the polarised auxin trans...
Abstract: The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of some abiotic stresses commonly p... more Abstract: The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of some abiotic stresses commonly present in the Mediterranean environment (drought, salinity and negative physical soil properties) on a native Australian species (Callistemon citrinus (Curtis) Stapf), as the introduction of species in a new environment is successful, whenever they are able to overcome peculiar stress conditions. Plants were subjected to salinity stress using tap water added with 200 mM NaCl (23.1 mS cm-1), water stress induced by a reduced irrigation of ...
The influence of repeated applications of tartrate (TAR) and glutamate (GLU) at 50-mmol kg(-1) of... more The influence of repeated applications of tartrate (TAR) and glutamate (GLU) at 50-mmol kg(-1) of soil on Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn distribution between a contaminated soil and Paulownia tomentosa was investigated. TAR and GLU were applied by a single or a double dosage, the latter carried out with an interval between the two applications of thirty days. The comparison of the differences in mean amounts of metals accumulated in the whole plant at the end of single and double TAR and GLU application experiments indicated the positive effect of repeated GLU applications on the accumulation of Cu, Pb, and Zn by Paulownia tomentosa as compared to untreated controls. A similar effect was not observed for the TAR treatments. When soil treated with either TAR or GLU was compared with untreated controls, no significant effect on heavy-metal concentrations in the soil solution was observed 30 days after treatment, suggesting the absence of an increase of the long-term leaching risk of heavy metals in aquifers and surface waters due to the ligand application. A cost analysis of the treatment is also reported.
The task of autonomously anchoring spacecraft on the surface of any celestial body is extremely c... more The task of autonomously anchoring spacecraft on the surface of any celestial body is extremely challenging. Weight restrictions do not allow for massive design; lacking external control calls for compliant drilling behavior. In search for a new concept we investigated biological mechanisms of ground anchoring.
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