Authors:	Jerominek, Markus Claßen-Bockhoff, Regine
Title:	Electrical signals in prayer plants (marantaceae)? : Insights into the trigger mechanism of the explosive style movement
Online publication date:	5-Oct-2022
Year of first publication:	2015
Language:	english
Abstract:	The explosive pollination mechanism of the prayer plants (Marantaceae) is unique among plants. After a tactile stimulus by a pollinator, the style curls up rapidly and mediates pollen exchange. It is still under discussion whether this explosive movement is released electrophysiologically, i.e. by a change in the membrane potential (as in Venus flytrap), or purely mechanically. In the present study, electrophysiological experiments are conducted to clarify the mechanism. Artificial release experiments (chemical and electrical) and electrophysiological measurements were conducted with two phylogenetically distant species, Goeppertia bachemiana (E. Morren) Borchs. & S. Suarez and Donax canniformis (G. Forst.) K. Schum. Electric responses recorded after style release by extracellular measurements are characterised as variation potentials due to their long repolarization phase and lack of self-perpetuation. In both species, chemical and electric stimulations do not release the style movement. It is concluded that the style movement in Marantaceae is released mechanically by relieving the tissue pressure. Accordingly, the variation potential is an effect of the movement and not its cause. The study exemplarily shows that fast movements in plants are not necessarily initiated by electric changes of the membrane as known from the Venus flytrap.
DDC:	580 Pflanzen (Botanik) 580 Botanical sciences
Institution:	Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
Department:	FB 10 Biologie
Place:	Mainz
ROR:	https://ror.org/023b0x485
DOI:	http://doi.org/10.25358/openscience-7860
Version:	Published version
Publication type:	Zeitschriftenaufsatz
License:	CC BY
Information on rights of use:	https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Journal:	PLoS one 10 5
Pages or article number:	e0126411
Publisher:	PLoS
Publisher place:	Lawrence, Kan.
Issue date:	2015
ISSN:	1932-6203
Publisher URL:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0126411
Publisher DOI:	10.1371/journal.pone.0126411
Appears in collections:	DFG-OA-Publizieren (2012 - 2017)