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Abstract Detail


Developmental and Structural Section

Dauphinee, Adrian [1], Lacroix , Christian  [2], Gunawardena, Arunika [1].

Unravelling the Early Structures of the Lace Plant (Aponogeton madagascariensis).

The lace plant (Aponogeton madagascariensis) is a fully submerged aquatic monocot. The lace plant can be found in flowing or stagnant waters and is native to Madagascar. The plant is rare, in that it produces a complex leaf morphology by the deletion of cells through developmentally regulated programmed cell death (PCD). PCD occurs between longitudinal and transverse veins, in spaces known as areoles. PCD initiates in centralized cells, and proceeds outwards, stopping 4-5 cell layers before the vasculature. The result is a perforated leaf phenotype that resembles a lace pattern, hence the common name. The lace plant provides an excellent system for studying developmentally regulated PCD for several reasons including the predictability of perforation formation, established axenic cultures, as well as the thin and transparent leaves of the plant, which are ideal for live cell imaging. Several mechanisms of PCD have been elucidated using the lace plant, however little is known about PCD signalling within this system. Although recently, it was found that the phytohormone ethylene plays arole in the regulation of PCD within this system. Ethylene plays a significant role in plant growth and development, however the effects of ethylene on the early development, and the early developmental morphology of the lace plant has yet to be investigated. Therefore, current study focuses on the early developmental morphology of the lace plant and tests the effects of ethylene suppression on the shoot apical meristem (SAM). Microdissection techniques were employed to isolate lace plant SAMs and higher levels of plastochron development were investigated using compound light, scanning electron and laser-scanning confocal microscopy techniques. While carrying out this exploratory work, thin, and transparent tissues including leaf sheaths and squamules were found that may have great potential for future plant cell microscopy work.

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1 - Dalhousie University, Biology, Life Sciences Centre, 1355 Oxford Street, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada
2 - University of Prince Edward Island, Biology, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown, PEI , C1A 4P3, Canada

Keywords:
Lace plant (Aponogeton madagascariensis)
Shoot Apical Meristem
Scanning Electron Microscopy
Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy
3D Imaging
Squamules
Leaf Morphology.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 32
Location: Union D/Hyatt
Date: Tuesday, July 10th, 2012
Time: 11:15 AM
Number: 32004
Abstract ID:371


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