Background: Complete submergence of Rumex palustris leads to hyponastic (upward) petiole growth followed by enhanced petiole elongation. Previous pharmacological experiments have provided insights into the signal transduction pathway leading to this combined 'escape' response. It will, however, be difficult to gain further knowledge using these methods. Consequently, new approaches are required.
Scope: Here we propose that different environmental signals resulting in similar phenotypes can help to understand better the submergence response. In this review, we show that both ethylene and shade induce similar growth responses in R. palustris and Arabidopsis thaliana. We illustrate how this can be exploited to unravel novel signalling components in submergence-induced elongation growth. Furthermore, we illustrate the potential of arabidopsis as a useful model in submergence research based on similarities with submergence-tolerant species such as R. palustris and the molecular opportunities it presents. This is illustrated by examples of current work exploring this concept.
Conclusions: Incorporating different model systems, such as arabidopsis and shade avoidance, into submergence research can be expected to create powerful tools to unravel signal transduction routes determining submergence tolerance.