Is membrane potential involved in calmodulin gene expression after external stimulation in plants?

In Bidens pilosa (cv. radiata), a non-injurious stimulus induces a local and transient change in membrane potential, and an injurious stimulus induces a transmitted electrical signal described as the combination of an action potential and a slow wave. We have studied calmodulin gene expression after these stimuli.

Control of a symmetry-breaking process in the course of the morphogenesis of plantlets of Bidens pilosa L.

A mechanism involving transport, storage and retrieval of a symmetry-breaking message controls the relative growth rate of the cotyledonary buds of plantlets of Bidens pilosa L. The asymmetry was induced by administering a few needle pricks to one cotyledon of each plant. The storage of the symmetry-breaking message was independent of the number of pricks ("all or nothing" process) and irreversible.

[The role of mineral ions in controlling morphogenesis in plants: a case of the inhibition of growth of the hypocotyle of Bidens pilosa L].

Mineral ions are implicated in various events occurring in the transduction of messages in plants, from the reception of the initial signal to the final morphogenetic expression. Ions may be involved also in the possible migration, storage and retrieval of the message. In a number of cases, cellular exchange of Ca2+ have been shown to occur at the reception of a signal.

Memorization and delayed expression of regulatory messages in plants.

Plantlets of Bidens pilosus L., considered to be basically symmetrical, can be "lateralized" (A/B) by being administered a "symmetry-breaking" signal such as puncturing one of the plant cotyledons. The induced asymmetry remains latent as long as the plants have not been made "permissive", i.

Effect of Lithium on Thigmomorphogenesis in Bryonia dioica Ethylene Production and Sensitivity.

Rubbing internodes of Bryonia dioica plants reduced their ethylene production but increased their capacity to convert 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) to ethylene. These results were explained by the previously shown rubbing-induced decrease of indoleacetic acid, which controls the level of ACC synthase, and by the increase of membrane-associated peroxidases which would participate in the conversion of ACC-ethylene. Pretreatment of the plants with Li had no significant effect on control plants but counteracted the rubbing-induced decrease of ethylene production and diminished the capacity of the internodes to convert ACC to ethylene.