Constitutive aerenchyma formation in roots enhances tolerance of maize to oxygen deficiency stress

摘要

Root cortex constitutive aerenchyma (RCCA) is an important anatomically adaptive strategy for plants through accelerating internal oxygen transport from root base to root apex (Armstrong, et al. 1968). The ability of constitutive aerenchyma formationdiffers among plants. Under aerated conditions, RCCA can form in many waterlogging tolerant plants, including rice (Shiono et al. 2011), Eastern gamagrass (Usui et al. 2003), Hordeum marinum (Garthwaite et al. 2003)， Zea nicaraguensis (Mano et al. 2006) and Zea luxuhans (Mano et al. 2008), but not in some dryland plants, such as maize, wheat and barley. Here, we intend to investigate how RCCA contributes to plant tolerance to oxygen deficiency stress.