AOBPreview originally published online on September 19, 2007
Annals of Botany 2007 100(6):1357-1365; doi:10.1093/aob/mcm205
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
TECHNICAL ARTICLE |
Inferring the Geometry of Fourth-Period Metallic Elements in Arabidopsis thaliana Seeds using Synchrotron-Based Multi-Angle X-ray Fluorescence Mapping
1 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 107 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 0X2
2 Canadian Light Source Inc., 110 North Road, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 5C6
3 Department of Physics, Life Sciences Building, 3101 S. Dearborn, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL 60616, USA
4 Department of Applied Microbiology and Food Science, 51 Campus Drive, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 5A8
* For correspondence. E-mail martin.reaney{at}mail.usask.ca
Received: 11 May 2007 Returned for revision: 27 June 2007 Accepted: 10 July 2007 Published electronically: 19 September 2007
Background: Improving our knowledge of plant metal metabolism is facilitated by the use of analytical techniques to map the distribution of elements in tissues. One such technique is X-ray fluorescence (XRF), which has been used previously to map metal distribution in both two and three dimensions. One of the difficulties of mapping metal distribution in two dimensions is that it can be difficult to normalize for tissue thickness. When mapping metal distribution in three dimensions, the time required to collect the data can become a major constraint. In this article a compromise is suggested between two- and three-dimensional mapping using multi-angle XRF imaging.
Methods: A synchrotron-based XRF microprobe was used to map the distribution of K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu and Zn in whole Arabidopsis thaliana seeds. Relative concentrations of each element were determined by measuring fluorescence emitted from a 10 µm excitation beam at 13 keV. XRF spectra were collected from an array of points with 25 or 30 µm steps. Maps were recorded at 0 and 90°, or at 0, 60 and 120° for each seed. Using these data, circular or ellipsoidal cross-sections were modelled, and from these an apparent pathlength for the excitation beam was calculated to normalize the data. Elemental distribution was mapped in seeds from ecotype Columbia-4 plants, as well as the metal accumulation mutants manganese accumulator 1 (man1) and nicotianamine synthetase (nasx).
Conclusions: Multi-angle XRF imaging will be useful for mapping elemental distribution in plant tissues. It offers a compromise between two- and three-dimensional XRF mapping, as far as collection times, image resolution and ease of visualization. It is also complementary to other metal-mapping techniques. Mn, Fe and Cu had tissue-specific accumulation patterns. Metal accumulation patterns were different between seeds of the Col-4, man1 and nasx genotypes.
Key words: X-ray fluorescence mapping, metal distribution, Arabidopsis thaliana seeds
Present address: Department of Plant Science, 51 Campus Drive, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
Present address: Feeds Innovation International, University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7 N 5A8.