Plant secondary metabolism studies in altered gravity are very important in order to provide Bio-regenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS).

1. By
Fahad Shafiq
PhD Scholar / Research Associate
Department of Botany,
GC University Faisalabad, Pakistan

2. How do Plants Sense Gravity?
 Cell Level
 Root Level
 Stem Level
Answer
 Motion of a Falling or Sedimenting Body.

3. Mechanisms of Gravity Sensing
Amyloplasts
Statoliths
Statocytes

4. Hypotheses
 Starch-Statolith Hypothesis
 Tensegrity Model

7. Gravity Sensing in Columella Cells

9. Gravity sensing in Arabidopsis
Dynamics of Amyloplasts and AFs in Wild Type and fiz1/+ Endodermal Cells.
Linear actin cable and amyloplast. The arrow indicates an amyloplast that has moved a long
distance along a linear actin cable.

10. Otoliths in Fishes

11. Why these experiments are
required?
 Space Colonization
 International Space Station
 Antioxidant Rich Food for astronauts
 BLSS

12. Technical Limitations
 Difficult to achieve gravity levels
 Atmospheric conditions
 Maintenance of experimental conditions

13. International Space Station

16. Vegetable Production Units

17. How does the gravity environment shape/alter the way
plants grow and reproduce?
 Directs Root & Stem
Growth
 Requires Gravity
Perception

18. Gravity Studies involves
 Micro gravity
 Hyper-gravity

19. Effects on Secondary Metabolism
 Increased isoflavonoids in soy bean 6-
day exposure to micro gravity.
 β -carotene, neoxanthin, violaxanthin,
and lutein in aquatic plant
Ceratophyllum (9-d)
 75 % more glucosinolate in Brassica
rappa.

20. EVIDENCES OF ALTERED SECONDARY METABOLISM
 Increased disease
susceptibility in
 wheat
 soybean seedlings
 Incomplete reproductive
cycles
 Altered gaseous exchange
 Reduced seed size

21. Hormonal Imbalance
 Reduced cytokinin due to altered fluid dynamics.
 Increased effects of auxin in rice.
 Altered secondary metabolism

22. Mechanical Stress Effects
 Micro gravity
 Wood formation
 Secondary xylem
 Lignin formation
 Hyper Gravity
 Shoot length
 Upright growth
 Cell wall extensibility

23. Microgravity and Hyper-gravity Effects on Secondary Metabolism in
Plants and Liquid Cultures.

24. Conclusions
 Micro gravity
 Increased secondary compound
accumulation,
 Decreased PAL activity
 Decreased Lignin production.
 Hyper gravity
 Reduced secondary compound
accumulation,
 Increased PAL activity
 Increased Lignin production

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