Emeritus Professor Reinhard Ferdinand Mathias Van Steveninck (1928–2017) and Dr Margaret Elva Van Steveninck (1931–2017) – plant physiologists and electron microscope X-ray microprobe specialists
Terence V. Price
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic. 3086, Australia. Email: t.price@latrobe.edu.au
Functional Plant Biology 46(10) 962-965 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP19095
Submitted: 11 April 2019 Accepted: 26 May 2019 Published: 25 June 2019
Abstract
This obituary highlights the careers and contributions of two eminent plant physiologists. Emeritus Professor Reinhard Van Steveninck (1928–2017) was educated at Wageningen and London University. He joined the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), New Zealand, and achieved early recognition for his publications on abscission and mechanisms of salt uptake of plants. He was appointed Professor of Agriculture (Plant/Soil Science) at La Trobe University in 1976. He expanded his research into salinity tolerance of lupins and the ultrastructural localisation of ions using X-ray microprobe analysis. He was a good teacher and nurtured and trained many researchers in this area. He was a recognised expert in using a combination of ultrastructural techniques to study the movement of ions within plant cells and across tissues. His publications include book chapters on plant physiology, as well as a major review on the ‘washing’ or ‘ageing’ phenomenon in plant tissues. He was an active member and President of the Australian Society of Plant Physiologists. Margaret Van Steveninck (1931–2017) worked as a Research Assistant at Adelaide University and subsequently as a Demonstrator and Senior Demonstrator in Botany at Queensland and La Trobe University. Her plant physiology research with her husband resulted in numerous joint publications including a chapter on microanalysis in ‘Electron microscopy of plant cells’.
References
Edwards LB, Van Steveninck RFM (1987) Quantitative determination of manganese and silicon in freeze-fractured plant material. In ‘Proceedings of the 9th Australian symposium on analytical chemistry. Sydney, Australia. Vol. 1’. pp. 151–154. (Royal Australian Chemical Institute: Melbourne, Vic.)Edwards LB, Van Steveninck RFM (1988) A quantitative microprobe study of manganese tolerance in two crops. In ‘International symposium on manganese in soils and plants: contributed papers, Adelaide, Australia’. pp. 37–39. (The University of Adelaide: Adelaide, SA)
Huang CX, Van Steveninck RFM (1988) Effect of moderate salinity on patterns of potassium, sodium and chloride accumulation in cells near the root tip of barley: role of differentiating metaxylem vessels. Physiologia Plantarum 73, 525–533.
| Effect of moderate salinity on patterns of potassium, sodium and chloride accumulation in cells near the root tip of barley: role of differentiating metaxylem vessels.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Muralitharan MS, Chandler SF, Van Steveninck RFM (1992) Effects of Na2Cl4, K2SO4 and KCl on growth and ion uptake of callus cultures of Vaccinium corymbosum L. cv Blue Crop. Annals of Botany 69, 459–465.
| Effects of Na2Cl4, K2SO4 and KCl on growth and ion uptake of callus cultures of Vaccinium corymbosum L. cv Blue Crop.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Treeby MT, Van Steveninck RFM (1988) Effects of salinity and phosphate on ion distribution in lupin leaflets. Physiologia Plantarum 73, 317–322.
| Effects of salinity and phosphate on ion distribution in lupin leaflets.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Treeby MT, Van Steveninck RFM, de Vries HM (1987) Quantitative estimates of phosphorus concentrations within Lupinus luteus leaflets by means of electron probe X-ray microanalysis. Plant Physiology 85, 331–334.
| Quantitative estimates of phosphorus concentrations within Lupinus luteus leaflets by means of electron probe X-ray microanalysis.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 16665697PubMed |
Van Steveninck RFM (1958) Straight growth inhibitors in glucose. Nature 182, 950–951.
| Straight growth inhibitors in glucose.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Van Steveninck RFM (1959) Abscission-accelerators in lupins (Lupinus luteus L.). Nature 183, 1246–1248.
| Abscission-accelerators in lupins (Lupinus luteus L.).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Van Steveninck RFM (1961) The ‘lag-phase’ in salt uptake of storage tissue. Nature 190, 1072–1075.
| The ‘lag-phase’ in salt uptake of storage tissue.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
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| Effect of indolyl-3-acetic acid on the permeability of membranes in storage issue.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Van Steveninck ME (1970) Fine structure of plant cells in relation to salt accumulation. MSc thesis. Botany Department, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA.
Van Steveninck RFM (1974) Hormonal regulation of ion transport in parenchyma tissue. In ‘Membrane transport in plants’. (Eds U Zimmermann, J Dainty) pp. 450–456. (Springer: Berlin)
Van Steveninck RFM (1975) The ‘washing’ or ‘aging’ phenomenon in plant tissues. Annual Review of Plant Physiology 26, 237–258.
| The ‘washing’ or ‘aging’ phenomenon in plant tissues.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Van Steveninck RFM (1976a) Effect of hormones and related substances on ion transport. In ‘Transport in plants II. Encyclopedia of plant physiology (New series). Vol 2/B’. (Eds U Lüttge, MG Pitman) pp. 307–342. (Springer: Berlin)
Van Steveninck RFM (1976b) Cellular differentiation, ageing and ion transport. In ‘Transport in plants II. Encyclopedia of plant physiology (New series). Vol 2/B’. (Eds U Lüttge, MG Pitman) pp. 343–371. (Springer: Berlin)
Van Steveninck RFM, Fernando DR (1995) X-Ray microanalytical studies on two modes of strontium binding in fronds of Lemna minor. Australian Journal of Plant Physiology 22, 817–822.
| X-Ray microanalytical studies on two modes of strontium binding in fronds of Lemna minor.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Van Steveninck RFM, Van Steveninck ME (1991) Microanalysis. In ‘Electron microscopy of plant cells’. (Eds JL Hall, C Hawes) pp. 415–455. (Academic Press: London)
Van Steveninck RFM, Van Steveninck ME, Hall TA, Peters PD (1974) A chlorine-free embedding medium for use in X-ray analytical electron microscope localisation of chloride in biological tissues. Histochemistry 38, 173–180.
| A chlorine-free embedding medium for use in X-ray analytical electron microscope localisation of chloride in biological tissues.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Van Steveninck RFM, Van Steveninck ME, Läuchli A (1982a) Profiles of chloride content of vacuoles in lupin root cells as shown by electron probe X-ray microanalysis. Zeitschrift für Pflanzenphysiologie 108, 215–222.
| Profiles of chloride content of vacuoles in lupin root cells as shown by electron probe X-ray microanalysis.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Van Steveninck RFM, Van Steveninck ME, Stelzer R, Läuchli A (1982b) Variations in vacuolar solutes of Lupinus luteus L. leaf tissue shown by electron probe X-ray microanalysis. Zeitschrift für Pflanzenphysiologie 107, 91–95.
| Variations in vacuolar solutes of Lupinus luteus L. leaf tissue shown by electron probe X-ray microanalysis.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Van Steveninck RFM, Van Steveninck ME, Fernando DR, Horst WJ, Marschner H (1987) Deposition of zinc phytate in globular bodies in roots of Deschampsia caespitosa ecotypes: a detoxification mechanism Journal of Plant Physiology 131, 247–257.
| Deposition of zinc phytate in globular bodies in roots of Deschampsia caespitosa ecotypes: a detoxification mechanismCrossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Van Steveninck RMF, Fernando DR, Anderson CA, Edwards LB, Van Steveninck ME (1988) Chloride and sulphur concentrations in chloroplasts of spinach. Physiologia Plantarum 74, 651–658.
| Chloride and sulphur concentrations in chloroplasts of spinach.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Van Steveninck RFM, Van Steveninck ME, Wells AJ, Fernando DR (1990) Zinc tolerance and the binding of zinc as zinc phytate in Lemna minor. X-ray microanalytical evidence. Journal of Plant Physiology 137, 140–146.
| Zinc tolerance and the binding of zinc as zinc phytate in Lemna minor. X-ray microanalytical evidence.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Van Steveninck RFM, Babare A, Fernando DR (1994) The binding of zinc, but not cadmium, by phytic acid in roots of crop plants. Plant and Soil 167, 157–164.
| The binding of zinc, but not cadmium, by phytic acid in roots of crop plants.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
