Biophysics of Plant Cell

The head of the team - Vladimir A.Veselovsky, Professor of Biophysics The member of the team Tatiana V.Veselova, Ph.D The study of plant resistance and adaptation to environment factors is the main direction of investigation of this team.

The investigation of mechanisms of spontaneous chemiluminescence of plant tissues and practical application of this phenomena to plant resistance determination was devoted a lot of time.

Induced by different factors (light, H2O2, KMnO4, electric current etc.) luminescence of roots and leaves was used for investigation of mechanisms of damage in cells and for plant resistance determination.

Room temperature phosphorescence of air-dry biopolimers and seeds was obtained after visible light excitation. It was shown that it is possible to employ this phenomenon for assessment of seed viability, seed lot heterogeneity and seed longevity.

The aim of the work now is to obtain which structural and functional modification on the molecular and membrane levels are occurred in alive cells during aging in anabiosis.

Plant cell and population of free cells are considered as non-linear systems which can perform co-operative transitions between distinct discrete states: the normal state, the enhanced resistance (protective) state and the lethal (lifeless) state. The protective state is proposed to be quasi stationary state with high resistance to numerous factors. The properties of this state (called stress of plant cells) was investigated. A generally nonmonotonous response of living systems (two- and tree-phase) to gradually increasing external influences can be explained by means of such approach.

The goal of the work now is to investigate structural and functional changes in alga cells are occurred under ultra weak influence (doses and concentration of reagents).

Books:

  • Zhuravlev A.I., Veselovsky V.A. Alive Luminary. Moscow. Znanie (in Russian). 1964. 48 p.
  • Tarusov B.N., Veselovsky V.A. Ultra Weak Light Emission of Plant and its Practical Significance. Moscow. MSU-publ. (in Russian) 1978. 149 p.
  • Veselovsky, V.A. and Veselova, T.V. Plant Luminescence: Theoretical and Applied Aspects. Moscow. Nauka (in Russian) 1990. 200 p.
  • Veselova, T.V., Veselovsky, V.A., Chernavsky, D.S. Plant Stress: A Biophysical Approach. Moscow, MSU-publ. (in Russian). 1993. 144 p.