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At least 1,279 records · Page 71
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1985

Calcium and Calmodulin Localization in Gravitropically-responding Plant Organs

Antimonate staining procedures were used to detect calcium redistribution changes in corn roots. Results show that an asymmetric redistribution of Ca is induced by a gravitropic stimulus in roots as it is in shoots. Since this response occurs within 10 min, at least 5 min before any visible bending, it could play a role in the regulation of root gravitropism. Two different general approaches were used to localize calmodulin in plant tissue: radioimmunoassay of its content in tissue and in purified subcellular organelles, and immunocytochemical detection of it in roots and coleoptiles. Radioimmunoassay results indicate that calmodulin is present in large quantities in pllant cells and that it is specifically associated with mitochondria, etioplasts and nuclei. An assayed of an extract of soluble wall proteins revealed that over 1% of these proteins was calmodulin. Controls indicate that this calmodulin is not cytoplasmic in origin. A reaction product from anti-calmodulin was found mainly in the root cap cells, moderately in metazylem elements, in some cells in the stele surrounding metaxylem elements and in cortical cells.

Roux, S. J.↗
NASA NTRS1985

A hydroponic method for plant growth in microgravity

A hydroponic apparatus under development for long-term microgravity plant growth is described. The capillary effect root environment system (CERES) is designed to keep separate the nutrient and air flows, although both must be simultaneously available to the roots. Water at a pressure slightly under air pressure is allowed to seep into a plastic depression covered by a plastic screen and a porous membrane. A root in the air on the membrane outer surface draws the moisture through it. The laboratory model has a wire-based 1.241 mm mesh polyethylene screen and a filter membrane with 0.45 micron pores, small enough to prohibit root hair penetration. The design eliminates the need to seal-off the plant environment. Problems still needing attention include scaling up of the CERES size, controlling biofouling of the membrane, and extending the applications to plants without fibrous root systems.

Wright, B. D.↗
NASA NTRS1986

A theoretical analysis of the round-off propagation in different Kalman filter implementations

A theoretical analysis is made of the error propagation due to numerical round-off for four different Kalman filter implementations: the conventional Kalman filter, the square root covariance filter, the square root information filter and the Chandrasekhar square root filter. From these error models, new insights about the applicability of the different filters and their sensitivity to round-off, is obtained. It is shown that the CKF may become completely unreliable when the original plant is unstable, and that this is easily circumvented by a number of techniques. The square root filters, often quoted to possess a conditioning or sensitivity that is the square root of that of the CKF, are shown to possess this property only for the computation of the covariance of the filtered signal and not for the computation of the Kalman gain or the filtered estimate. Finally, the Chandrasekhar filter is shown to be numerically unstable.

Verhaegen, M.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Hormonal regulation of wheat growth during hydroponic culture

Hormonal control of root growth has been explored as one means to alleviate the crowding of plant root systems experienced in prototype hydroponic biomass production chambers being developed by the CELSS Breadboard Project. Four plant hormones, or their chemical analogs, which have been reported to selectively inhibit root growth, were tested by adding them to the nutrient solutions on day 10 of a 25 day growth test using spring wheat in hydroponic cultures. Growth and morphological changes is both shoot and root systems were evaluated. In no case was it possible to inhibit root growth without a comparable inhibition of shoot growth. It was concluded that this approach is unlikely to prove useful for wheat.

Wetherell, Donald↗
NASA NTRS1990

A proposal to demonstrate production of salad crops in the space station mockup facility with particular attention to space, energy, and labor constraints

A desire for fresh vegetables for consumption during long term space missions has been foreseen. To meet this need in a microgravity environment within the limited space and energy available on Space Station requires highly productive vegetable cultivars of short stature to optimize vegetable production per volume available. Special water and nutrient delivery systems must also be utilized. As a first step towards fresh vegetable production in the microgravity of Space Station, several soil-less capillary action media were evaluated for the ability to support growth of two root crops (radish and carrot) which are under consideration for inclusion in a semi-automated system for production of salad vegetables in a microgravity environment (Salad Machine). In addition, productivity of different cultivars of radish was evaluated as well as the effect of planting density and cultivar on carrot production and size. Red Prince radish was more productive than Cherry Belle and grew best on Jiffy Mix Plus. During greenhouse studies, vermiculite and rock wool supported radish growth to a lesser degree than Jiffy Mix Plus but more than Cellular Rooting Sponge. Comparison of three carrot cultivars (Planet, Short n Sweet, and Goldinhart) and three planting densities revealed that Short n Sweet planted at 25.6 sq cm/plant had the greatest root fresh weight per pot, the shortest mean top length, and intermediate values of root length and top fresh weight per pot. Red Prince radish and Short n Sweet carrot showed potential as productive cultivars for use in a Salad Machine. Results of experiments with solid capillary action media were disappointing. Further research must be done to identify a solid style capillary action media which can productively support growth of root crops such as carrot and radish.

Brooks, Carolyn A.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Controlled environment crop production - Hydroponic vs. lunar regolith

The potential of controlled environment crop production in a lunar colony is discussed. Findings on the effects of optimal root-zone and aerial environments derived as part of the NASA CELSS project at Utah State are presented. The concept of growing wheat in optimal environment is discussed. It is suggested that genetic engineering might produce the ideal wheat cultivar for CELSS (about 100 mm in height with fewer leaves). The Utah State University hydroponic system is outlined and diagrams of the system and plant container construction are provided. Ratio of plant mass to solution mass, minimum root-zone volume, maintenance, and pH control are discussed. A comparison of liquid hydrophonic systems and lunar regoliths as substrates for plant growth is provided. The physiological processes that are affected by the root-zone environment are discussed including carbon partitioning, nutrient availability, nutrient absorption zones, root-zone oxygen, plant water potential, root-produced hormones, and rhizosphere pH control.

Bugbee, Bruce G.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Control of unsteady shock-induced turbulent boundary layer separation upstream of blunt fins

Fluctuating wall pressure measurements have been made on centerline upstream of blunt fins in a Mach 5 turbulent boundary layer. Standard time series analysis and conditional sampling algorithms have been used to examine the effects of leading edge sweepback, leading edge shape, and fin root modifications on the fluctuating pressures. Leading edge sweep considerably reduces the mean and rms pressure loading at the fin root, the extent of the region of unsteady separation shock motion, and the separation length. The frequency of pressure fluctuations in the intermittent region increases with leading edge sweepback, while the spectral content of pressure fluctuations in the separated region is virtually unchanged by leading edge sweep. A swept hemicylindrically blunted root fillet reduces the centerline upstream influence and intermittent region length by 50 percent, and reduces the mean and rms pressure loading at the fin root by about 75 percent and 95 percent respectively. Experiments using hemicylindrical, wedge shaped and flat leading edges show that while separated flow scales increase with increasing 'bluntness', intermittent region length and root loading decrease, and separation shock frequency increases.

Kleifges, K.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Determination of a transient heat transfer property of acrylic using thermochromic liquid crystals

An experiment was performed to determine a transient heat transfer property of acrylic. The experiment took advantage of the known analytical solution for heat conduction in a homogeneous semi-infinite solid with a constant surface heat flux. Thermochromic liquid crystals were used to measure the temperature nonintrusively. The relevant property in this experiment was the transient thermal conduction coefficient h(sub t), which is the square root of the product of density p, specific heat c(sub p), and thermal conductivity k (i.e., square root of pc(sub p)k). A value of 595.6 W square root of s/sq m K was obtained for h(sub t), with a standard deviation of 5.1 W square root of s/sq m K. Although there is no generally accepted value for h(sub t), a commonly used one is 580 W square root of s/sq m K, which is almost 3 percent less than the h(sub t) value obtained in this experiment. Since these results were highly repeatable and since there is no definitive value for h(sub t), the new value is recommended for future use.

Heidmann, James D.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Clover development during spaceflight: A model system

The development of legume root nodules was studied as a model system for the examination of gravitational effects on plant root development. In order to examine whether rhizobial association with clover roots can be achieved in microgravity, experiments were performed aboard the KC-135 parabolic aircraft and aboard the sounding rocket mission Consort 3. Binding of rhizobia to roots and the initial stages of root nodule development successfully occurred in microgravity. Seedling germination experiments were performed in the sliding block device, the Materials Dispersion Apparatus, aboard STS-37. When significant hydration of the seeds was achieved, normal rates of germination and seedling development were observed.

Guikema, James A.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Neutral-Line Magnetic Shear and Enhanced Coronal Heating in Solar Active Regions

By examining the magnetic structure at sites in the bright coronal interiors of active regions that are not flaring but exhibit persistent strong coronal heating, we establish some new characteristics of the magnetic origins of this heating. We have examined the magnetic structure of these sites in five active regions, each of which was well observed by both the Yohkoh SXT and the Marshall Space Flight Center Vector Magnetograph and showed strong shear in its magnetic field along part of at least one neutral line (polarity inversion). Thus, we can assess whether this form of nonpotential field structure in active regions is a characteristic of the enhanced coronal heating and vice versa. From 27 orbits' worth of Yohkoh SXT images of the five active regions, we have obtained a sample of 94 persistently bright coronal features (bright in all images from a given orbit), 40 long (greater than or approximately equals 20,000 km) neutral-line segments having strong magnetic shear throughout (shear angle greater than 45 deg), and 39 long neutral-line segments having weak magnetic shear throughout (shear angle less than 45 deg). From this sample, we find that: (1) all of our persistently bright coronal features are rooted in magnetic fields that are stronger than 150 G; (2) nearly all (95%) of these enhanced coronal features are rooted near neutral lines (closer than 10,000 km); (3) a great majority (80%) of the bright features are rooted near strong-shear portions of neutral lines; (4) a great majority (85%) of long strong-shear segments of neutral lines have persistently bright coronal features rooted near them; (5) a large minority (40%) of long weak-shear segments of neutral lines have persistently bright coronal features rooted near them; and (6) the brightness of a persistently bright Coronal feature often changes greatly over a few hours. From these results, we conclude that most persistent enhanced heating of coronal loops in active regions: (1) requires the presence of a polarity inversion in the magnetic field near at least one of the loop footpoints; (2) is greatly aided by the presence of strong shear in the core magnetic field along that neutral line; and (3) is controlled by some variable process that acts in this magnetic environment. We infer that this variable process is low-lying reconnection accompanying flux cancellation.

Falconer, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS2003

The ARG1-LIKE2 gene of Arabidopsis functions in a gravity signal transduction pathway that is genetically distinct from the PGM pathway

The arl2 mutants of Arabidopsis display altered root and hypocotyl gravitropism, whereas their inflorescence stems are fully gravitropic. Interestingly, mutant roots respond like the wild type to phytohormones and an inhibitor of polar auxin transport. Also, their cap columella cells accumulate starch similarly to wild-type cells, and mutant hypocotyls display strong phototropic responses to lateral light stimulation. The ARL2 gene encodes a DnaJ-like protein similar to ARG1, another protein previously implicated in gravity signal transduction in Arabidopsis seedlings. ARL2 is expressed at low levels in all organs of seedlings and plants. arl2-1 arg1-2 double mutant roots display kinetics of gravitropism similar to those of single mutants. However, double mutants carrying both arl2-1 and pgm-1 (a mutation in the starch-biosynthetic gene PHOSPHOGLUCOMUTASE) at the homozygous state display a more pronounced root gravitropic defect than the single mutants. On the other hand, seedlings with a null mutation in ARL1, a paralog of ARG1 and ARL2, behave similarly to the wild type in gravitropism and other related assays. Taken together, the results suggest that ARG1 and ARL2 function in the same gravity signal transduction pathway in the hypocotyl and root of Arabidopsis seedlings, distinct from the pathway involving PGM.

NASA Discipline Plant Biology↗
NASA NTRS2000

Columella cells revisited: novel structures, novel properties, and a novel gravisensing model

A hundred years of research has not produced a clear understanding of the mechanism that transduces the energy associated with the sedimentation of starch-filled amyloplast statoliths in root cap columella cells into a growth response. Most models postulate that the statoliths interact with microfilaments (MF) to transmit signals to the plasma membrane (or ER), or that sedimentation onto these organelles produces the signals. However, no direct evidence for statolith-MF links has been reported, and no asymmetric structures of columella cells have been identified that might explain how a root turned by 90 degrees knows which side is up. To address these and other questions, we have (1) quantitatively examined the effects of microgravity on the size, number, and spatial distribution of statoliths; (2) re-evaluated the ultrastructure of columella cells in high-pressure frozen/freeze-substituted roots; and (3) followed the sedimentation dynamics of statolith movements in reoriented root tips. The findings have led to the formulation of a new model for the gravity-sensing apparatus of roots, which envisages the cytoplasm pervaded by an actin-based cytoskeletal network. This network is denser in the ER-devoid central region of the cell than in the ER-rich cell cortex and is coupled to receptors in the plasma membrane. Statolith sedimentation is postulated to disrupt the network and its links to receptors in some regions of the cell cortex, while allowing them to reform in other regions and thereby produce a directional signal.

NASA Discipline Cell Biology↗
NASA NTRS1989

A growth analysis of waterlogging damage in mung bean (Phaseolus aureus)

Mung beans (Phaseolus aureus Roxb.) were grown for 2 weeks in gravel-vermiculite soilless mix in a growth chamber and subjected to a 1-week waterlogging period followed by a 1-week recovery period. Sequential harvests were made to determine the time course of effects of waterlogging and subsequent recovery on growth parameters by techniques of growth analysis. Root dry matter was the first to be affected, along with an increase in leaf dry matter and specific leaf weight. After a 1-week waterlogging period, specific leaf weight had more than doubled in the stressed plants. Leaf area declined in relation to the control plants as did the ratio of root dry matter to shoot dry matter. During the recovery period there was an increase in the dry matter allocation to the roots relative to the shoot. Specific leaf weight fell to control levels although the rate of leaf area elaboration did not increase during this time, suggesting a redistribution of stored assimilates from the leaves. Net assimilation rate increased during the waterlogging period, probably due to a restriction in root metabolism and reduced translocation out of the leaf rather than to an increase in photosynthesis. Net assimilation rate of waterlogged plants was severely reduced compared with control plants during the recovery period. Both relative growth rate and leaf area duration declined during the waterlogging period and declined further subsequent to the waterlogging treatment. The results illustrate the interrelationships between root and shoot carbon budgets in mung bean during response to the stress of waterlogging.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS2001

Growth in microgravity increases susceptibility of soybean to a fungal pathogen

The influence of microgravity on the susceptibility of soybean roots to Phytophthora sojae was studied during the Space Shuttle Mission STS-87. Seedlings of soybean cultivar Williams 82 grown in spaceflight or at unit gravity were untreated or inoculated with the soybean root rot pathogen P. sojae. At 3, 6 and 7 d after launch while still in microgravity, seedlings were photographed and then fixed for subsequent microscopic analysis. Post-landing analysis of the seedlings revealed that at harvest day 7 the length of untreated roots did not differ between flight and ground samples. However, the flight-grown roots infected with P. sojae showed more disease symptoms (percentage of brown and macerated areas) and the root tissues were more extensively colonized relative to the ground controls exposed to the fungus. Ethylene levels were higher in spaceflight when compared to ground samples. These data suggest that soybean seedlings grown in microgravity are more susceptible to colonization by a fungal pathogen relative to ground controls.

manned↗
NASA NTRS1987

Nodule activity and allocation of photosynthate of soybean during recovery from water stress

Nodulated soybean plants (Glycine max [L.] Merr. cv Ransom) in a growth-chamber study were subjected to a leaf water potential (psi w) of -2.0 megapascal during vegetative growth. Changes in nonstructural carbohydrate contents of leaves, stems, roots, and nodules, allocation of dry matter among plant parts, in situ specific nodule activity, and in situ canopy apparent photosynthetic rate were measured in stressed and nonstressed plants during a 7-day period following rewatering. Leaf and nodule psi w also were determined. At the time of maximum stress, concentration of nonstructural carbohydrates had declined in leaves of stressed, relative to nonstressed, plants, and the concentration of nonstructural carbohydrates had increased in stems, roots, and nodules. Sucrose concentrations in roots and nodules of stressed plants were 1.5 and 3 times greater, respectively, than those of nonstressed plants. Within 12 hours after rewatering, leaf and nodule psi w of stressed plants had returned to values of nonstressed plants. Canopy apparent photosynthesis and specific nodule activity of stressed plants recovered to levels for nonstressed plants within 2 days after rewatering. The elevated sucrose concentrations in roots and nodules of stressed plants also declined rapidly upon rehydration. The increase in sucrose concentration in nodules, as well as the increase of carbohydrates in roots and stems, during water stress and the rapid disappearance upon rewatering indicates that inhibition of carbohydrate utilization within the nodule may be associated with loss of nodule activity. Availability of carbohydrates within the nodules and from photosynthetic activity following rehydration of nodules may mediate the rate of recovery of N2-fixation activity.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS1994

Ammonium and nitrate uptake by soybean during recovery from nitrogen deprivation

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] plants that had been subjected to 15 d of nitrogen deprivation were resupplied for 10 d with 1.0 mol m-3 nitrogen provided as NO3-, NH4+, or NH4(+) + NO3- in flowing hydroponic culture. Plants in a fourth hydroponic system received 1.0 mol m-3 NO3- during both stress and resupply periods. Concentrations of soluble carbohydrates and organic acids in roots increased 210 and 370%, respectively, during stress. For the first day of resupply, however, specific uptake rates of nitrogen, determined by ion chromatography as depletion from solution, were lower for stressed than for non-stressed plants by 43% for NO3- resupply, by 32% for NH4(+) + NO3- resupply, and 86% for NH4+ resupply. When specific uptake of nitrogen for stressed plants recovered to rates for non-stressed plants at 6 to 8 d after nitrogen resupply, carbohydrates and organic acids in their roots had declined to concentrations lower than those of non-stressed plants. Recovery of nitrogen uptake capacity of roots thus does not appear to be regulated simply by the content of soluble carbon compounds within roots. Solution concentrations of NH4+ and NO3- were monitored at 62.5 min intervals during the first 3 d of resupply. Intermittent 'hourly' intervals of net influx and net efflux occurred. Rates of uptake during influx intervals were greater for the NH4(+)-resupplied than for the NO3(-)-resupplied plants. For NH4(+)-resupplied plants, however, the hourly intervals of efflux were more numerous than for NO3(-)-resupplied plants. It thus is possible that, instead of repressing NH4+ influx, increased accumulation of amino acids and NH4+ in NH4(+)-resupplied plants inhibited net uptake by stimulation of efflux on NH4+ absorbed in excess of availability of carbon skeletons for assimilation. Entry of NH4+ into root cytoplasm appeared to be less restricted than translocation of amino acids from the cytoplasm into the xylem.

NASA Discipline Number 61-10↗
NASA NTRS1998

The arabidopsis thaliana AGRAVITROPIC 1 gene encodes a component of the polar-auxin-transport efflux carrier

Auxins are plant hormones that mediate many aspects of plant growth and development. In higher plants, auxins are polarly transported from sites of synthesis in the shoot apex to their sites of action in the basal regions of shoots and in roots. Polar auxin transport is an important aspect of auxin functions and is mediated by cellular influx and efflux carriers. Little is known about the molecular identity of its regulatory component, the efflux carrier [Estelle, M. (1996) Current Biol. 6, 1589-1591]. Here we show that mutations in the Arabidopsis thaliana AGRAVITROPIC 1 (AGR1) gene involved in root gravitropism confer increased root-growth sensitivity to auxin and decreased sensitivity to ethylene and an auxin transport inhibitor, and cause retention of exogenously added auxin in root tip cells. We used positional cloning to show that AGR1 encodes a putative transmembrane protein whose amino acid sequence shares homologies with bacterial transporters. When expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, AGR1 promotes an increased efflux of radiolabeled IAA from the cells and confers increased resistance to fluoro-IAA, a toxic IAA-derived compound. AGR1 transcripts were localized to the root distal elongation zone, a region undergoing a curvature response upon gravistimulation. We have identified several AGR1-related genes in Arabidopsis, suggesting a global role of this gene family in the control of auxin-regulated growth and developmental processes.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS1996

A mutation in protein phosphatase 2A regulatory subunit A affects auxin transport in Arabidopsis

The phytohormone auxin controls processes such as cell elongation, root hair development and root branching. Tropisms, growth curvatures triggered by gravity, light and touch, are also auxin-mediated responses. Auxin is synthesized in the shoot apex and transported through the stem, but the molecular mechanism of auxin transport is not well understood. Naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) and other inhibitors of auxin transport block tropic curvature responses and inhibit root and shoot elongation. We have isolated a novel Arabidopsis thaliana mutant designated roots curl in NPA (rcn1). Mutant seedlings exhibit altered responses to NPA in root curling and hypocotyl elongation. Auxin efflux in mutant seedlings displays increased sensitivity to NPA. The rcn1 mutation was transferred-DNA (T-DNA) tagged and sequences flanking the T-DNA insert were cloned. Analysis of the RCN1 cDNA reveals that the T-DNA insertion disrupts a gene for the regulatory A subunit of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A-A). The RCN1 gene rescues the rcn1 mutant phenotype and also complements the temperature-sensitive phenotype of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae PP2A-A mutation, tpd3-1. These data implicate protein phosphatase 2A in the regulation of auxin transport in Arabidopsis.

Non-NASA Center↗