Memorization and delayed expression of regulatory messages in plants

Abstract

Plantlets of Bidens pilosus L., considered to be basically symmetrical, can be “lateralized” (A/B) by being administered a “symmetry-breaking” signal such as puncturing one of the plant cotyledons. The induced asymmetry remains latent as long as the plants have not been made “permissive”, i.e. as long as the plant apex is left functioning. When the apex has been removed (plant “decapitation”), the latent asymmetry is expressed by one of the cotyledonary buds (a/b) statistically beginning to elongate before the other. The interval of time between delivering the “symmetry-breaking” signal and making the plant “permissive” is the “memorization-time”, Δt. Memorization can be quantified by using a “precedence index”, q, the values of which range from 0 (no detectable asymmetry with regard to bud growth) to ±1 (bud growth perfectly asymmetric in favour of either bud b or a). Even for memorization times, Δt, up to 14 d, q-values up to 0.4 (or even larger) are observed. Various experimental characteristics (e.g. light, temperature, presence or absence of the root system) but not the plant age can affect the q-values, at the moment when the treatments are performed, at least in the range of 6 to 25 d. Combining several puncturing treatments either increases or decreases the q-values, depending on the nature of these treatments and the time-intervals, δt, between them. Symmetrically removing both cotyledons in the minutes following the puncturing of one of them does not significantly alter the results, which means that the “symmetry-breaking” message is rapidly transported and memorized within the plant. Non-traumatic asymmetrical treatments (droplets of saline solutions, light-gradients) can also act as symmetry-breaking signals and be memorized. Plants other than Bidens are likely to possess similar memorization ability, although the q-values observed up to now have not been very large.