Summary
The permeability and porosity of xylem cell walls are believed to play a major role in defining the ability of a cell or tissue to exhibit deep supercooling. Lanthanum nitrate, was utilized to contrast the permeability of stem tissues inB. lenta, which exhibits deep supercooling, withB. papyrifera, which exhibits equilibrium freezing. Although the two species differed greatiy in their response to low temperature, distribution of lanthanum deposits was quite similar. Primary cell walls of all xylem cell types appeared permeable although lanthanum deposition was patchy. Secondary cell walls of fiber cells were also permeable to lanthanum whereas the secondary wall of vessel elements and xylem parenchyma appeared impermeable to the lanthanum. Pit membranes, in all cell types and the “protective layer” in xylem parenchyma frequently exhibited deposits of lanthanum. Results of this study indicate that the porosity and permeability of the pit membrane, rather than the entire cell wall may determine the rate of water loss from xylem parenchyma to sites of extracellular ice. If differences exist between the species in the physical structure of these sites, they may explain differences observed in their response to freezing.
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Abbreviations
- DTA:
-
differential thermal analysis
- HTE:
-
high temperature exotherm
- LTE:
-
low temperature exoterm
- F:
-
fiber cell
- V:
-
vessel element
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Wisniewski, M., Ashworth, E. & Schaffer, K. The use of lanthanum to characterize cell wall permeability in relation to deep supercooling and extracellular freezing in woody plants: II. Intrageneric comparisons betweenBetula lenta andBetula papyrifera . Protoplasma 141, 160–168 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01272898
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01272898