Plasticity of the xylem vulnerability to embolism in Populus tremula x alba relies on pit quantity properties rather than on pit structure.

Knowledge on variations of drought resistance traits are needed to predict the potential of trees to acclimate to coming severe drought events. Xylem vulnerability to embolism is a key parameter related to such droughts, and its phenotypic variability relies mainly on environmental plasticity. We investigated the structural determinants controlling the plasticity of vulnerability to embolism, focusing on the key elements involved in the air bubble entry in vessels, especially the intervessel pits.

Feeling stretched or compressed? The multiple mechanosensitive responses of wood formation to bending.

Background And Aims: Trees constantly experience wind, perceive resulting mechanical cues, and modify their growth and development accordingly. Previous studies have demonstrated that multiple bending treatments trigger ovalization of the stem and the formation of flexure wood in gymnosperms, but ovalization and flexure wood have rarely been studied in angiosperms, and none of the experiments conducted so far has used multidirectional bending treatments at controlled intensities. Assuming that bending involves tensile and compressive strain, we hypothesized that different local strains may generate specific growth and wood differentiation responses.

The Hevea brasiliensis XIP aquaporin subfamily: genomic, structural and functional characterizations with relevance to intensive latex harvesting.

X-Intrinsic Proteins (XIP) were recently identified in a narrow range of plants as a full clade within the aquaporins. These channels reportedly facilitate the transport of a wide range of hydrophobic solutes. The functional roles of XIP in planta remain poorly identified.