RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Revealing how memory shapes time-dependent computational processes in plant tropisms
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2023.01.06.522981
DO 10.1101/2023.01.06.522981
A1 Rivière, Mathieu
A1 Meroz, Yasmine
YR 2023
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2023/01/06/2023.01.06.522981.abstract
AB Mounting evidence suggests that plants engage complex computational processes to quantify and integrate sensory information over time, enabling remarkable adaptive growth strategies. However, quantitative understanding of these computational processes is limited. We report experiments probing the dependence of gravitropic responses of wheat coleoptiles on previous stimuli. First, building on a mathematical model that identifies this dependence as a form of memory, we use experimental observations to reveal the mathematical principles of how coleoptiles integrate multiple stimuli over time. Next, we perform two-stimulus experiments, informed by model predictions, to reveal fundamental computational processes. We quantitatively show that coleoptiles respond not only to sums but also to differences between stimuli over different timescales. This result constitutes first evidence that plants can compare stimuli, crucial for search processes.One sentence summary Quantitative evidence that plants effectively sum and subtract stimuli over different timescalesCompeting Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.