title: Spatiotemporal dynamics of the electrical network activity in the root apex.
abstract: The study of electrical network systems, integrated with chemical signaling networks, is becoming a common trend in contemporary biology. Classical techniques are limited to the assessment of signals from doublets or triplets of cells at a fixed temporal bin width. At present, full characteristics of the electrical network distribution and dynamics in plant cells and tissues has not been established. Here, a 60-channels multielectrode array (MEA) is applied to study spatiotemporal characteristics of the electrical network activity of the root apex. Both intense spontaneous electrical activities and stimulation-elicited bursts of locally propagating electrical signals have been observed. Propagation of the spikes indicates the existence of excitable traveling waves in plants, similar to those observed in non-nerve electrogenic tissues of animals. Obtained data reveal synchronous electric activities of root cells emerging in a specific root apex region. The dynamic electrochemical activity of root apex cells is proposed to continuously integrate internal and external signaling for developmental adaptations in a changing environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Horticulture, International Laboratory of Plant Neurobiology, University of Florence, Viale delle idee 30, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Masi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ciszak
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stefano
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Renna
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Azzarello
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pandolfi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mugnai
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baluska
authors.forename: F T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Arecchi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mancuso
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology; D004566:Electrodes; D055724:Electrophysiological Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D018519:Meristem / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D003313:Zea mays / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018698:Glutamic Acid; D002118:Calcium