The role of silicon in plant biology: a paradigm shift in research approach

Article

Frew, Adam, Weston, Leslie A., Reynolds, Olivia L. and Gurr, Geoff M.. 2018. "The role of silicon in plant biology: a paradigm shift in research approach." Annals of Botany. 121 (7), pp. 1265-1273. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcy009
Article Title

The role of silicon in plant biology: a paradigm shift in research approach

ERA Journal ID2550
Article CategoryArticle
AuthorsFrew, Adam (Author), Weston, Leslie A. (Author), Reynolds, Olivia L. (Author) and Gurr, Geoff M. (Author)
Journal TitleAnnals of Botany
Journal Citation121 (7), pp. 1265-1273
Number of Pages9
Year2018
PublisherOxford University Press
Place of PublicationUnited kingdom
ISSN0305-7364
1095-8290
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcy009
Abstract

Background:
Silicon (Si) is known to have numerous beneficial effects on plants, alleviating diverse forms of abiotic and biotic stress. Research on this topic has accelerated in recent years and revealed multiple effects of Si in a range of plant species. Available information regarding the impact of Si on plant defence, growth and development is fragmented, discipline-specific, and usually focused on downstream, distal phenomena rather than underlying effects. Accordingly, there is a growing need for studies that address fundamental metabolic and regulatory processes, thereby allowing greater unification and focus of current research across disciplines.

Scope and Conclusions:
Silicon is often regarded as a plant nutritional ‘non-entity’. A suite of factors associated with Si have been recently identified, relating to plant chemistry, physiology, gene regulation and interactions with other organisms. Research to date has typically focused on the impact of Si application upon plant stress responses. However, the fundamental, underlying mechanisms that account for the manifold effects of Si in plant biology remain undefined. Here, the known effects of Si in higher plants relating to alleviation of both abiotic and biotic stress are briefly reviewed and the potential importance of Si in plant primary metabolism is discussed, highlighting the need for a unifying research framework targeting common underlying mechanisms. The traditional approach of discipline-specific work on single stressors in individual plant species is currently inadequate. Thus, a holistic and comparative approach is proposed to assess the mode of action of Si between plant trait types (e.g. C3, C4 and CAM; Si accumulators and non-accumulators) and between biotic and abiotic stressors (pathogens, herbivores, drought, salt), considering potential pathways (i.e. primary metabolic processes) highlighted by recent empirical evidence. Utilizing genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic approaches in such comparative studies will pave the way for unification of the field and a deeper understanding of the role of Si in plants.

Keywordsabiotic stress, biotic stress, herbivory, omics, pathogens, primary metabolism
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020310399. Ecology not elsewhere classified
310899. Plant biology not elsewhere classified
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Byline AffiliationsCharles Sturt University
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
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