Dataset Information

The changes of morphological and physiological characteristics in hemiparasitic Monochasma savatieri before and after attachment to the host plant.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Monochasma savatieri is an endangered hemiparasitic medicinal plant with a variety of antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Despite the urgent need to understand the parasitic biology of M. savatieri, parasite-host associations have long been neglected in studies of M. savatieri.

Methods

We conducted a pot cultivation experiment to analyze changes in the growth traits, physiological performance and anatomical structures of M. savatieri grown with the potential host Gardenia jasminoides E., before and after the establishment of the parasite-host association.

Results

Prior to the establishment of the parasite-host association, the presence of the host had no significant effect on the maximum root length, leaf indexes or total dry weight of M. savatieri seedlings, but had significant positive effect on seedling height, number of roots or number of haustoria. When it was continuously grown without a host, M. savatieri growth was rather slow. The establishment of the parasite-host association enhanced the growth of M. savatieri, and higher levels of photosynthetic pigments, increased antioxidant enzyme activity and lower malondialdehyde accumulation were observed in M. savatieri with an established parasite-host association. Furthermore, an analysis of the anatomical structures of M. savatieri showed that the establishment of the parasite-host association enabled better development of the seedling vegetative organs than that in seedlings without parasite-host associations.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates the physiological and anatomical changes that occurred in M. savatieri after connection with a host and suggests that the enhanced growth and development of M. savatieri were highly dependent on the parasite-host association.

SUBMITTER: Chen L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7443084 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

The changes of morphological and physiological characteristics in hemiparasitic <i>Monochasma savatieri</i> before and after attachment to the host plant.

Chen Lanlan L Zhu Zaibiao Z Guo Qiaosheng Q Guo Jun J Huang Zhigang Z Zhang Hui H

PeerJ 20200819

<h4>Background</h4><i>Monochasma savatieri</i> is an endangered hemiparasitic medicinal plant with a variety of antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Despite the urgent need to understand the parasitic biology of <i>M. savatieri</i>, parasite-host associations have long been neglected in studies of <i>M. savatieri</i>.<h4>Methods</h4>We conducted a pot cultivation experiment to analyze changes in the growth traits, physiological performance and anatomical structures of <i> ...[more]

PMID: 32879807

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