title: Effects of 60 Hz sinusoidal magnetic field on in vitro establishment, multiplication, and acclimatization phases of Coffea arabica seedlings.
abstract: The influence of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields on net photosynthesis, transpiration, photosynthetic pigment concentration, and gene expression of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase small subunit (RBCS1), during in vitro establishment, in vitro multiplication and acclimatization phases of coffee seedlings were investigated. Untreated coffee plants were considered as control, whereas treated plants were exposed to a 60 Hz sinusoidal magnetic field of 2 mT of magnetic induction during 3 min. This magnetic field was generated by an electromagnet, connected to a wave generator. The results revealed that magnetically treated plants showed a significant increase in net photosynthesis (85.4% and 117.9%, in multiplication and acclimatization phases, respectively), and in photosynthetic pigment concentration (66.6% for establishment phase, 79.9% for multiplication phase, and 43.8% for acclimatization phase). They also showed a differential RBCS1 gene expression (approximately twofold) and a decrease of transpiration rates in regard to their control plants. In conclusion, the findings suggest that the application of 60 Hz magnetic field to in vitro coffee plants may improve the seedlings quality by modifying some photosynthetic physiological and molecular processes, increasing their vigor, and ensuring better plant development in later stages.
authors.affiliation: Bioelectromagnetism Department, National Center of Applied Electromagnetism, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Isaac Alemán
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oliveira Moreira
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Almeida Lima
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chaves Silva
authors.forename: Justo Lorenzo
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: González-Olmedo
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chalfun-Junior
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism; D040503:Coffea / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D060526:Magnetic Fields; D008280:Magnetics; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010507:Periodicity; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018526:Plant Transpiration / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D036226:Seedlings / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D002734:Chlorophyll
keywords: 60 Hz magnetic field; RBCS1; coffee seedlings; net photosynthesis; transpiration