Aluminum (Al) is one of the most important crust elements causing reduced plant production in acidic soils. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is considered to be one of the crops that is most sensitive to Al, and the root cell wall is the primary target of Al toxicity. In this study, we evaluate the possible involvement of specific pectic epitopes in the cells of barley roots in response to aluminum exposure. We targeted four different pectic epitopes recognized by LM5, LM6, LM19, and LM20 antibodies using an immunocytochemical approach. Since Al becomes available and toxic to plants in acidic soils, we performed our analyses on barley roots that had been grown in acidic conditions (pH 4.0) with and without Al and in control conditions (pH 6.0). Differences connected with the presence and distribution of the pectic epitopes between the control and Al-treated roots were observed. In the Al-treated roots, pectins with galactan sidechains were detected with a visually lower fluorescence intensity than in the control roots while pectins with arabinan sidechains were abundantly present. Furthermore, esterified homogalacturonans (HGs) were present with a visually higher fluorescence intensity compared to the control, while methyl-esterified HGs were present in a similar amount. Based on the presented results, it was concluded that methyl-esterified HG can be a marker for newly arising cell walls. Additionally, histological changes were detected in the roots grown under Al exposure. Among them, an increase in root diameter, shortening of root cap, and increase in the size of rhizodermal cells and divisions of exodermal and cortex cells were observed. The presented data extend upon the knowledge on the chemical composition of the cell wall of barley root cells under stress conditions. The response of cells to Al can be expressed by the specific distribution of pectins in the cell wall and, thus, enables the knowledge on Al toxicity to be extended by explaining the mechanism by which Al inhibits root elongation.

Barley is one of the cereals that are most sensitive to aluminum (Al). Al in acid soils limits barley growth and development and, as a result, its productivity. The inhibition of root growth is a widely accepted indicator of Al stress. Al toxicity is affected by many factors including the culture medium, pH, Al concentration and the duration of the treatment. However, Al can act differently in different species and still Al toxicity in barley deserves study. Since the mechanism of Al toxicity is discussed we cytogenetically describe the effects of different doses of bioavailable Al on the barley nuclear genome—mitotic activity, cell cycle profile and DNA integrity. At the same time, we tested an established deep-water culture (DWC) hydroponics system and analyzed the effects of Al on the root system parameters using WinRHIZO software. We demonstrated the cytotoxic and genotoxic effect of Al in barley root cells. We showed that Al treatment significantly reduced the mitotic activity of the root tip cells and it also induced micronuclei and damaged nuclei. The DNA-damaging effect of Al was observed using the TUNEL test. We define the inhibitory influence of Al on DNA replication in barley. Analysis with the labelling and detection of 5-ethynyl-2‘-deoxyuridin (EdU) showed that the treatment with Al significantly decreased the frequency of S phase cells. We also demonstrated that Al exposure led to changes in the cell cycle profile of barley root tips. The delay of cell divisions observed as increased frequency of cells in G2/M phase after Al treatment was reported using flow cytometry.

Long-term cultivated Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn. (Tartary buckwheat) morphogenic and non-morphogenic callus lines are interesting systems for gaining a better understanding of the mechanisms that are responsible for the genetic stability and instability of a plant tissue culture. In this work, we used histological sections and transmission electron microscopy to identify and describe the morphology of the nuclei of all of the analysed callus lines. We demonstrated that the embryogenic callus cells had prominent round nuclei that did not contain heterochromatin clumps in contrast to the non-morphogenic callus lines, in which we found nuclei that had multiple lobes. Flow cytometry analysis revealed significant differences in the relative DNA content between the analysed calli. All of the analysed morphogenic callus lines had peaks from 2C to 8C as compared to the non-morphogenic callus lines, whose peaks did not reflect any regular DNA content and exceeded 8C and 16C for the line 6p1 and 16C and 32C for the callus line 10p²A. The results showed that non-morphogenic calli are of an aneuploid nature. The TUNEL test enabled us to visualise the nuclei that had DNA fragmentation in both the morphogenic and non-morphogenic lines. We revealed significantly higher frequencies of positively labelled nuclei in the non-morphogenic lines than in the morphogenic lines. In the case of the morphogenic lines, the highest observed frequency of TUNEL-positive nuclei was 7.7% for lines 2–3. In the non-morphogenic calli, the highest level of DNA damage (68.5%) was revealed in line 6p1. These results clearly indicate greater genome stability in the morphogenic lines.

A micronucleus test in combination with fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) using telomere-, centromere-specific probes and 5S and 25S rDNA was used for a detailed analysis of the effects of gamma ray irradiation on the root tip meristem cells of barley, Hordeum vulgare (2n = 14). FISH with four DNA probes was used to examine the involvement of specific chromosomes or chromosome fragments in gamma ray-induced micronuclei formation and then to explain their origin. Additionally, a comparison of the possible origin of the micronuclei induced by physical and chemical treatment: maleic hydrazide (MH) and N-nitroso-N-methylurea (MNU) was done. The micronuclei induced by gamma ray could originate from acentric fragments after chromosome breakage or from whole lagging chromosomes as a result of a dysfunction of the mitotic apparatus. No micronuclei containing only centromeric signals were found. An application of rDNA as probes allowed it to be stated that 5S rDNA–bearing chromosomes are involved in micronuclei formation more often than NOR chromosomes. This work allowed the origin of physically- and chemically-induced micronuclei in barley cells to be compared: the origin of micronuclei was most often from terminal fragments. FISH confirmed its usefulness in the characterization of micronuclei content, as well as in understanding and comparing the mechanisms of the actions of mutagens applied in plant genotoxicity.

Aluminum (Al) is the third, most abundant element in the Earth's crust. When soil pH drops below 5.5, Al is released from minerals, which threatens plant growth. The roots are particularly vulnerable to Al stress because Al ions can penetrate them, causing growth reduction by inhibiting the cell cycle and decreasing root cell elongation. Al has the ability to bind to cell structures, including cell walls, cytoskeleton, or DNA, which disturb their functions. Plants have developed various response strategies, such as the exclusion of organic acids into the rhizosphere or the detoxification of Al in the vacuole. STOP1 (Sensitive To Proton Rhizotoxicity 1) is the critical regulator of the expression of tolerance-related genes and is present in both mono- and dicots plants. The activity of STOP1 can be regulated on post-transcription and post-translation levels. This review paper presents an overview of the latest literature, aiming to accurately present the problem of Al toxicity and its effect on plant functioning. Moreover, the well-studied mechanisms of plant response and future prospects, like the use of polyamines, miRNAs, or DDR (DNA Damage Response) pathway, will be presented, which are opportunities to develop new plant varieties that are tolerant to Al stress.