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Functional plant cell wall design revealed by the Raman imaging approach

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A Protocol for this article was published on 23 August 2012

Abstract

Using the Raman imaging approach, the optimization of the plant cell wall design was investigated on the micron level within different tissue types at different positions of a Phormium tenax leaf. Pectin and lignin distribution were visualized and the cellulose microfibril angle (MFA) of the cell walls was determined. A detailed analysis of the Raman spectra extracted from the selected regions, allowed a semi-quantitative comparison of the chemical composition of the investigated tissue types on the micron level. The cell corners of the parenchyma revealed almost pure pectin and the cell wall an amount of 38–49% thereof. Slight lignification was observed in the parenchyma and collenchyma in the top of the leaf and a high variability (7–44%) in the sclerenchyma. In the cell corners and in the cell wall of the sclerenchymatic fibres surrounding the vascular tissue, the highest lignification was observed, which can act as a barrier and protection of the vascular tissue. In the sclerenchyma high variable MFA (4°–40°) was detected, which was related with lignin variability. In the primary cell walls a constant high MFA (57°–58°) was found together with pectin. The different plant cell wall designs on the tissue and microlevel involve changes in chemical composition as well as cellulose microfibril alignment and are discussed and related according to the development and function.

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Abbreviations

CC:

Cell corners

Cle:

Chlorenchyma

Col:

Collenchyma

E:

Epidermis

FCA:

Fuchsin–chrysoidin–astrablue

MFA:

Cellulose microfibril angle

P1 to P4:

Position 1 to 4

Par:

Parenchyma

Phl:

Phloem

Sc:

Sheath cells

Scl:

Sclerenchyma

Sp:

Spongy parenchyma

Vb:

Vascular bundle

Xyl:

Xylem

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Acknowledgments

Notburga Gierlinger acknowledges financial support by the APART programme of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty 5/Biomimetics, Biological Materials, University of Applied Sciences Bremen, 28199, Bremen, Germany

    Stephan Richter & Jörg Müssig

  2. Department of Biomaterials, Max-Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14421, Potsdam, Germany

    Notburga Gierlinger

  3. Johannes Kepler University Linz, Institute of Polymer Science, Altenberger Straße 69, 4040, Linz, Austria

    Notburga Gierlinger

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  1. Stephan Richter
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  2. Jörg Müssig
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Correspondence to Notburga Gierlinger.

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Richter, S., Müssig, J. & Gierlinger, N. Functional plant cell wall design revealed by the Raman imaging approach. Planta 233, 763–772 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-010-1338-z

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