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Atomic force microscopy of pollen grains, cellulose microfibrils, and protoplasts

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Summary

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) holds unique prospects for biological microscopy, such as nanometer resolution and the possibility of measuring samples in (physiological) solutions. This article reports the results of an examination of various types of plant material with the AFM. AFM images of the surface of pollen grains ofKalanchoe blossfeldiana andZea mays were compared with field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) images. AFM reached the same resolutions as FESEM but did not provide an overall view of the pollen grains. Using AFM in torsion mode, however, it was possible to reveal differences in friction forces of the surface of the pollen grains. Cellulose microfibrils in the cell wall of root hairs ofRaphanus sativus andZ. mays were imaged using AFM and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Imaging was performed on specimens from which the wall matrix had been extracted. The cell wall texture of the root hairs was depicted clearly with AFM and was similar to the texture known from TEM. It was not possible to resolve substructures in a single microfibril. Because the scanning tip damaged the fragile cells, it was not possible to obtain images of living protoplasts ofZ. mays, but images of fixed and dried protoplasts are shown. We demonstrate that AFM of plant cells reaches resolutions as obtained with FESEM and TEM, but obstacles still have to be overcome before imaging of living protoplasts in physiological conditions can be realized.

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Abbreviations

AFM:

atomic force microscope

FESEM:

field emission scanning electron microscope

PyMS:

pyrolysis mass spectrometry

TEM:

transmission electron microscope

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Author notes

  1. N. N. van der Wel

    Present address: Department of Virology, Wageningen Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Cytology and Morphology, Wageningen Agricultural University, Arboretumlaan 4, NL-6703, DB Wageningen, The Netherlands

    N. N. van der Wel & A. M. C. Emons

  2. Department of Applied Physics, University of Twente, Enschede

    C. A. J. Putman, S. J. T. van Noort & B. G. de Grooth

Authors
  1. N. N. van der Wel
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  2. C. A. J. Putman
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  3. S. J. T. van Noort
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  4. B. G. de Grooth
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  5. A. M. C. Emons
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van der Wel, N.N., Putman, C.A.J., van Noort, S.J.T. et al. Atomic force microscopy of pollen grains, cellulose microfibrils, and protoplasts. Protoplasma 194, 29–39 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01273165

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01273165

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