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Sonication and ultrasound: impact on plant growth and development

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Abstract

Plant biotechnology, and plant tissue culture in particular, could benefit from new means to stimulate plant growth and development. Although the number of studies is still limited, there is evidence that sonication using low frequencies of sound (as little as a few dozen Hz) to as high as ultrasound (several dozen kHz) may increase organogenesis. In this brief review, we look at those examples in detail and explore how sound influences growth and development. Where available, we try to offer a mechanism by which sound affects or influences plant growth.

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Fig. 1

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Abbreviations

GUS:

β-Glucuronidase

Hz:

Hertz

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SAAT:

Sonication-assisted Agrobacterium-mediated transformation

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The authors declare no conflicts of interest, financial or other.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. P.O. Box 7, Miki-cho Post Office, Ikenobe 3011-2, Kagawa-ken, 761-0799, Japan

    Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva

  2. Research Institute of Nyíregyháza, University of Debrecen, P.O. Box 12, Nyíregyháza, 4400, Hungary

    Judit Dobránszki

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  1. Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva
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  2. Judit Dobránszki
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Correspondence to Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva or Judit Dobránszki.

Glossary (simplified from Wikipedia)

Sound intensity

The sound power (a measure of sound energy E per time t unit) per unit area. Its unit is W/m2

Sound frequency

The number of repetitions per unit time of a complete waveform. Its unit is hertz (Hz)

Sound pressure level

It is measured in decibels (dB) above a standard reference level

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Teixeira da Silva, J.A., Dobránszki, J. Sonication and ultrasound: impact on plant growth and development. Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 117, 131–143 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-014-0429-0

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