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Mechanical and phytochemical protection mechanisms of Calligonum comosum in arid deserts

Unlike animals, plants are sessile organisms, lacking circulating antibodies and specialized immune cells and are exposed to various harsh environmental conditions that make them at risk of being attacked by different pathogens and herbivores. Plants produce chemo-signals to respond to the surroundi...

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Autores principales: Soliman, Sameh, Mohammad, Mohammad G., El-Keblawy, Ali A., Omar, Hany, Abouleish, Mohamed, Madkour, Mohamed, Elnaggar, Attiat, Hosni, Racha M.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Public Library of Science 2018
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5802934/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29415032
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0192576
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author Soliman, Sameh
Mohammad, Mohammad G.
El-Keblawy, Ali A.
Omar, Hany
Abouleish, Mohamed
Madkour, Mohamed
Elnaggar, Attiat
Hosni, Racha M.
author_facet Soliman, Sameh
Mohammad, Mohammad G.
El-Keblawy, Ali A.
Omar, Hany
Abouleish, Mohamed
Madkour, Mohamed
Elnaggar, Attiat
Hosni, Racha M.
author_sort Soliman, Sameh
collection PubMed
description Unlike animals, plants are sessile organisms, lacking circulating antibodies and specialized immune cells and are exposed to various harsh environmental conditions that make them at risk of being attacked by different pathogens and herbivores. Plants produce chemo-signals to respond to the surroundings and be able to distinguish between harmless and harmful signals. In this study, the production of phytochemicals as plant signaling mechanisms and their defensive roles in disease resistance and repelling herbivores are examined in Calligonum comosum. C. comosum is a leafless standalone perennial shrub widespread in sand dunes. The plant has the ability to survive the drastic environmental conditions of the arid/ hyperarid deserts of the Arabia. Structural anatomy and phytochemicals analyses were used to identify both mechanical and chemical defensive mechanisms in C. comosum. Microscopy-based investigations indicated that stems of this species developed hard structures in its outer layers including sclerenchyma and cluster crystals of calcium oxalate (CaOx). Sclerenchyma and CaOx are difficult to be eaten by herbivores and insects and can harm their mouthparts. On the other hand, the plant developed both short-distance (local) and long-distance (systematic over limited sphere) phytochemicals-producing cells located at its outer regions that is surrounding the inner nutrient-rich vascular system (VS). Local chemical was represented by phenolic idioblasts that were released in response to plant cutting. Systematic chemical was represented by toxic volatile oil containing ~50% benzaldehyde derivative (cuminaldehyde). The oil caused strong killing effect on both mammalian cells and microbial pathogens via either direct addition or indirect exposure to its vapor. The plants lost the oil content and allowed fungal growth once cut and dried. The localization of both defensive mechanisms to the outer region of the plant seemed to protect the inner nutrient-rich VS and hence maintained the plant survival. Surprisingly, in relation to traditional folklore use as medicine, local people use only green parts of the plant and only during the winter, where the plant found devoid of volatile oil and phenolic idioblasts. Moreover, it turns into recommendations for local people to avoid any health problems caused by the plant supply.
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spelling pubmed-58029342018-02-23 Mechanical and phytochemical protection mechanisms of Calligonum comosum in arid deserts Soliman, Sameh Mohammad, Mohammad G. El-Keblawy, Ali A. Omar, Hany Abouleish, Mohamed Madkour, Mohamed Elnaggar, Attiat Hosni, Racha M. PLoS One Research Article Unlike animals, plants are sessile organisms, lacking circulating antibodies and specialized immune cells and are exposed to various harsh environmental conditions that make them at risk of being attacked by different pathogens and herbivores. Plants produce chemo-signals to respond to the surroundings and be able to distinguish between harmless and harmful signals. In this study, the production of phytochemicals as plant signaling mechanisms and their defensive roles in disease resistance and repelling herbivores are examined in Calligonum comosum. C. comosum is a leafless standalone perennial shrub widespread in sand dunes. The plant has the ability to survive the drastic environmental conditions of the arid/ hyperarid deserts of the Arabia. Structural anatomy and phytochemicals analyses were used to identify both mechanical and chemical defensive mechanisms in C. comosum. Microscopy-based investigations indicated that stems of this species developed hard structures in its outer layers including sclerenchyma and cluster crystals of calcium oxalate (CaOx). Sclerenchyma and CaOx are difficult to be eaten by herbivores and insects and can harm their mouthparts. On the other hand, the plant developed both short-distance (local) and long-distance (systematic over limited sphere) phytochemicals-producing cells located at its outer regions that is surrounding the inner nutrient-rich vascular system (VS). Local chemical was represented by phenolic idioblasts that were released in response to plant cutting. Systematic chemical was represented by toxic volatile oil containing ~50% benzaldehyde derivative (cuminaldehyde). The oil caused strong killing effect on both mammalian cells and microbial pathogens via either direct addition or indirect exposure to its vapor. The plants lost the oil content and allowed fungal growth once cut and dried. The localization of both defensive mechanisms to the outer region of the plant seemed to protect the inner nutrient-rich VS and hence maintained the plant survival. Surprisingly, in relation to traditional folklore use as medicine, local people use only green parts of the plant and only during the winter, where the plant found devoid of volatile oil and phenolic idioblasts. Moreover, it turns into recommendations for local people to avoid any health problems caused by the plant supply. Public Library of Science 2018-02-07 /pmc/articles/PMC5802934/ /pubmed/29415032 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0192576 Text en © 2018 Soliman et al http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
spellingShingle Research Article
Soliman, Sameh
Mohammad, Mohammad G.
El-Keblawy, Ali A.
Omar, Hany
Abouleish, Mohamed
Madkour, Mohamed
Elnaggar, Attiat
Hosni, Racha M.
Mechanical and phytochemical protection mechanisms of Calligonum comosum in arid deserts
title Mechanical and phytochemical protection mechanisms of Calligonum comosum in arid deserts
title_full Mechanical and phytochemical protection mechanisms of Calligonum comosum in arid deserts
title_fullStr Mechanical and phytochemical protection mechanisms of Calligonum comosum in arid deserts
title_full_unstemmed Mechanical and phytochemical protection mechanisms of Calligonum comosum in arid deserts
title_short Mechanical and phytochemical protection mechanisms of Calligonum comosum in arid deserts
title_sort mechanical and phytochemical protection mechanisms of calligonum comosum in arid deserts
topic Research Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5802934/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29415032
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0192576
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