Mechanical perturbation of Arabidopsis

Mechanical perturbation of Arabidopsis

Mechanical perturbation is known to inhibit elongation of the inflorescence stem of Arabidopsis thaliana but little is known of its effects on stem mechanics. Paul-Victor and Rowe  expose plants to mechanical stimulation and measure stem biomechanics and tissue geometry and density. The study suggests that delayed development of key primary developmental features of the stem results in a ‘short and flexible’ rather than ‘short and rigid’ strategy for maintaining upright axes in conditions of severe mechanical perturbation.