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Spatial organization and connectivity of wood rays in Pinus massoniana xylem based on high-resolution μCT-assisted network analysis

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Abstract

Main conclusion

Spatial organization and connectivity of wood rays in Pinus massoniana was comprehensively viewed and regarded as anatomical adaptions to ensure the properties of rays in xylem.

Abstract

Spatial organization and connectivity of wood rays are essential for understanding the wood hierarchical architecture, but the spatial information is ambiguous due to small cell size. Herein, 3D visualization of rays in Pinus massoniana was performed using high-resolution μCT. We found brick-shaped rays were 6.5% in volume fractions, nearly twice the area fractions estimated by 2D levels. Uniseriate rays became taller and wider during the transition from earlywood to latewood, which was mainly contributed from the height increment of ray tracheids and widened ray parenchyma cells. Furthermore, both volume and surface area of ray parenchyma cells were larger than ray tracheids, so ray parenchyma took a higher proportion in rays. Moreover, three different types of pits for connectivity were segmented and revealed. Pits in both axial tracheids and ray tracheids were bordered, but the pit volume and pit aperture of earlywood axial tracheids were almost tenfold and over fourfold larger than ray tracheids. Contrarily, cross-field pits between ray parenchyma and axial tracheids were window-like with the principal axis of 31.0 μm, but its pit volume was approximately one-third of axial tracheids. Additionally, spatial organization of rays and axial resin canal was analyzed by a curved surface reformation tool, providing the first evidence of rays close to epithelial cells inward through the resin canal. Epithelial cells had various morphologies and large variations in cell size. Our results give new insights into the organization of radial system of xylem, especially the connectivity of rays with adjacent cells.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge Mr. Yonggang Zhang from the Research Institute of Wood Industry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, for help in the sample collection. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31890772), National Natural Science Foundation of China (32071691), the department of Science and Technology, National Forestry and Grassland Administration (2020132601) and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Non-proft Research Institution of CAF (CAFYBB2021QC003).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Institute of Wood Industry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Dongxiaofu No.1, Beijing, 100091, China

    Lingyu Ma, Qiulu Meng, Xiaomei Jiang, Yupei Wei, Lichao Jiao, Yafang Yin & Juan Guo

  2. School of Information and Electrical Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, No.1000, Fengming Road, Lingang Development Zone, Jinan, 250101, Shandong, China

    Zhedong Ge

  3. Object Research Systems (ORS) Inc., 460 Ste-Catherine West, #600, Montreal, QC, H3B 1A7, Canada

    Zixiong Cao

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  1. Lingyu Ma
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Correspondence to Juan Guo.

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Ma, L., Meng, Q., Jiang, X. et al. Spatial organization and connectivity of wood rays in Pinus massoniana xylem based on high-resolution μCT-assisted network analysis. Planta 258, 28 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-023-04185-1

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