Frontiers in Plant Science (Jul 2020)

Exogenous Nitro-Oleic Acid Treatment Inhibits Primary Root Growth by Reducing the Mitosis in the Meristem in Arabidopsis thaliana

  • Luciano M. Di Fino,
  • Ignacio Cerrudo,
  • Sonia R. Salvatore,
  • Francisco J. Schopfer,
  • Carlos García-Mata,
  • Ana M. Laxalt

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.01059
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11

Abstract

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Nitric oxide (NO) is a second messenger that regulates a broad range of physiological processes in plants. NO-derived molecules called reactive nitrogen species (RNS) can react with unsaturated fatty acids generating nitrated fatty acids (NO2-FA). NO2-FA work as signaling molecules in mammals where production and targets have been described under different stress conditions. Recently, NO2-FAs were detected in plants, however their role(s) on plant physiological processes is still poorly known. Although in this work NO2-OA has not been detected in any Arabidopsis seedling tissue, here we show that exogenous application of nitro-oleic acid (NO2-OA) inhibits Arabidopsis primary root growth; this inhibition is not likely due to nitric oxide (NO) production or impaired auxin or cytokinin root responses. Deep analyses showed that roots incubated with NO2-OA had a lower cell number in the division area. Although this NO2-FA did not affect the hormonal signaling mechanisms maintaining the stem cell niche, plants incubated with NO2-OA showed a reduction of cell division in the meristematic area. Therefore, this work shows that the exogenous application of NO2-OA inhibits mitotic processes subsequently reducing primary root growth.

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