Catherine Duran1, Patricio Arce-Johnson2, Felipe Aquea3,4. 1. Laboratorio de Bioingeniería, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile. 2. Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica De Chile, Santiago, Chile. 3. Laboratorio de Bioingeniería, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile. felipe.aquea@edu.uai.cl. 4. Center for Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Santiago, Chile. felipe.aquea@edu.uai.cl.
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION: Our results showed that methylboronic acid is capable of alleviating boron deficiency, enhancing plant growth, and is less toxic than boric acid at higher concentrations. Boron is an essential plant micronutrient and its deficiency occurs in several regions globally, resulting in impaired plant growth. Boron fertilization is a common agricultural practice, but the action range of boron is narrow, sharply transitioning from deficiency to toxicity. Boric acid (BA) is the most common chemical form used in agriculture. In this work, we describe that methylboronic acid (MBA) is capable of alleviating boron deficiency in Arabidopsis. MBA is a boronic acid, but does not naturally occur in soils, necessitating synthesis. Other boronic acids have been described as boron competitors in plants, inhibiting auxin biosynthesis and root development. MBA is more water-soluble than BA and delivers the same amount of boron per molecule. We observed that Arabidopsis seedlings grown in the presence of MBA presented higher numbers of lateral roots and greater main root length compared to plants grown in BA. In addition, root hair length and leaf surface area were increased using MBA as a boron fertilizer. Finally, MBA was less toxic than BA at high concentrations, producing a slight reduction in the main root length but no decrease in total chlorophyll. Our results open a new opportunity to explore the use of a synthetic form of boron in agriculture, providing a tool for future research for plant nutrition.
MAIN CONCLUSION: Our results showed that methylboronic acid is capable of alleviating boron deficiency, enhancing plant growth, and is less toxic than boric acid at higher concentrations. Boron is an essential plant micronutrient and its deficiency occurs in several regions globally, resulting in impaired plant growth. Boron fertilization is a common agricultural practice, but the action range of boron is narrow, sharply transitioning from deficiency to toxicity. Boric acid (BA) is the most common chemical form used in agriculture. In this work, we describe that methylboronic acid (MBA) is capable of alleviating boron deficiency in Arabidopsis. MBA is a boronic acid, but does not naturally occur in soils, necessitating synthesis. Other boronic acids have been described as boron competitors in plants, inhibiting auxin biosynthesis and root development. MBA is more water-soluble than BA and delivers the same amount of boron per molecule. We observed that Arabidopsis seedlings grown in the presence of MBA presented higher numbers of lateral roots and greater main root length compared to plants grown in BA. In addition, root hair length and leaf surface area were increased using MBA as a boron fertilizer. Finally, MBA was less toxic than BA at high concentrations, producing a slight reduction in the main root length but no decrease in total chlorophyll. Our results open a new opportunity to explore the use of a synthetic form of boron in agriculture, providing a tool for future research for plant nutrition.
Authors: Mithu Chatterjee; Zara Tabi; Mary Galli; Simon Malcomber; Amy Buck; Michael Muszynski; Andrea Gallavotti Journal: Plant Cell Date: 2014-07-17 Impact factor: 11.277
Authors: Alexandra B Housh; Michaela S Matthes; Amber Gerheart; Stacy L Wilder; Kun-Eek Kil; Michael Schueller; James M Guthrie; Paula McSteen; Richard Ferrieri Journal: Int J Mol Sci Date: 2020-02-01 Impact factor: 5.923