1
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Silva LM, Pereira L, Kaack L, Guan X, Pfaff J, Trabi CL, Jansen S. The potential link between gas diffusion and embolism spread in angiosperm xylem: Evidence from flow-centrifuge experiments and modelling. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2024. [PMID: 39119783 DOI: 10.1111/pce.15084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/27/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Understanding xylem embolism formation is challenging due to dynamic changes and multiphase interactions in conduits. Here, we hypothesise that embolism spread involves gas diffusion in xylem, and is affected by time. We measured hydraulic conductivity (Kh) in flow-centrifuge experiments over 1 h at a given pressure and temperature for stem samples of three angiosperm species. Temporal changes in Kh at 5, 22, and 35°C, and at various pressures were compared to modelled gas concentration changes in a recently embolised vessel in the centre of a centrifuge sample. Temporal changes in Kh were logarithmic and species-specific. Maximum relative increases of Kh between 6% and 40% happened at 22°C for low centrifugal speed (<3250 RPM), while maximum decreases between 41% and 61% occurred at higher speeds. These reductions in Kh were experimentally shown to be associated with a temporal increase of embolism at the centre of centrifuge samples, which was likely associated with gas concentration increases in recently embolized vessels. Although embolism is mostly pressure-driven, our experimental and modelled data indicate that time, conduit characteristics, and temperature are involved due to their potential role in gas diffusion. Gas diffusion, however, does not seem to cover the entire process of embolism spread.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lucian Kaack
- Institute of Botany, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Botanical Garden of Ulm University, Hans-Krebs-Weg, Ulm, Germany
| | - Xinyi Guan
- Institute of Botany, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Jonas Pfaff
- Institute of Botany, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Christophe L Trabi
- Institute of Botany, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Core Facility Confocal and Multiphoton Microscopy, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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2
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Zambonini D, Savi T, Rosner S, Petit G. Consistent decrease in conifer embolism resistance from the stem apex to base resulting from axial trends in tracheid and pit traits. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1414448. [PMID: 38988629 PMCID: PMC11234846 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1414448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Drought-induced embolism formation in conifers is associated with several tracheid and pit traits, which vary in parallel from stem apex to base. We tested whether this axial anatomical variability is associated with a progressive variation in embolism vulnerability along the stem from apex to base. Methods We assessed the tracheid hydraulic diameter (Dh), mean pit membrane area (PMA) and the xylem pressure at 50% loss of conductivity (P50) on longitudinal stem segments extracted at different distances from the stem apex (DFA) in a Picea abies and an Abies alba tree. Results In both trees, Dh and PMA scaled with DFA 0.2. P50 varied for more than 3 MPa from the treetop to the stem base, according to a scaling of -P50 with DFA-0.2 . The largest Dh, PMA and P50 variation occurred for DFA<1.5 m. PMA and Dh scaled more than isometrically (exponent b=1.2). Pit traits vary proportionally with tracheid lumen diameter. Discussion and conclusions Apex-to-base trends in tracheid and pit traits, along with variations in P50, suggest a strong structure-function relationship that is influenced by DFA. Although the effect of DFA on P50 has not been extensively explored previously, we propose that analyzing the relationship between P50 and DFA could be crucial for a comprehensive assessment of embolism vulnerability at the individual level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Zambonini
- Dept. Territorio e Sistemi Agro-Forestali, Università degli Studi di Padova, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Tadeja Savi
- Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Institute of Botany, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sabine Rosner
- Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Institute of Botany, Vienna, Austria
| | - Giai Petit
- Dept. Territorio e Sistemi Agro-Forestali, Università degli Studi di Padova, Legnaro (PD), Italy
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3
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Ingram S, Jansen S, Schenk HJ. Lipid-Coated Nanobubbles in Plants. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:nano13111776. [PMID: 37299679 DOI: 10.3390/nano13111776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
One of the more surprising occurrences of bulk nanobubbles is in the sap inside the vascular transport system of flowering plants, the xylem. In plants, nanobubbles are subjected to negative pressure in the water and to large pressure fluctuations, sometimes encompassing pressure changes of several MPa over the course of a single day, as well as wide temperature fluctuations. Here, we review the evidence for nanobubbles in plants and for polar lipids that coat them, allowing nanobubbles to persist in this dynamic environment. The review addresses how the dynamic surface tension of polar lipid monolayers allows nanobubbles to avoid dissolution or unstable expansion under negative liquid pressure. In addition, we discuss theoretical considerations about the formation of lipid-coated nanobubbles in plants from gas-filled spaces in the xylem and the role of mesoporous fibrous pit membranes between xylem conduits in creating the bubbles, driven by the pressure gradient between the gas and liquid phase. We discuss the role of surface charges in preventing nanobubble coalescence, and conclude by addressing a number of open questions about nanobubbles in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Ingram
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research/Physics, University of Helsinki, 00560 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Steven Jansen
- Institute of Botany, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - H Jochen Schenk
- Department of Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA 92831-3599, USA
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4
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Isasa E, Link RM, Jansen S, Tezeh FR, Kaack L, Sarmento Cabral J, Schuldt B. Addressing controversies in the xylem embolism resistance-vessel diameter relationship. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 238:283-296. [PMID: 36636783 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Although xylem embolism is a key process during drought-induced tree mortality, its relationship to wood anatomy remains debated. While the functional link between bordered pits and embolism resistance is known, there is no direct, mechanistic explanation for the traditional assumption that wider vessels are more vulnerable than narrow ones. We used data from 20 temperate broad-leaved tree species to study the inter- and intraspecific relationship of water potential at 50% loss of conductivity (P50 ) with hydraulically weighted vessel diameter (Dh ) and tested its link to pit membrane thickness (TPM ) and specific conductivity (Ks ) on species level. Embolism-resistant species had thick pit membranes and narrow vessels. While Dh was weakly associated with TPM , the P50 -Dh relationship remained highly significant after accounting for TPM . The interspecific pattern between P50 and Dh was mirrored by a link between P50 and Ks , but there was no evidence for an intraspecific relationship. Our results provide robust evidence for an interspecific P50 -Dh relationship across our species. As a potential cause for the inconsistencies in published P50 -Dh relationships, our analysis suggests differences in the range of trait values covered, and the level of data aggregation (species, tree or sample level) studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Isasa
- Ecophysiology and Vegetation Ecology, Julius-von-Sachs-Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 3, 97082, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Roman Mathias Link
- Ecophysiology and Vegetation Ecology, Julius-von-Sachs-Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 3, 97082, Würzburg, Germany
- Chair of Forest Botany, Institute of Forest Botany and Forest Zoology, Technical University of Dresden, Pienner Str. 7, 01737, Tharandt, Germany
| | - Steven Jansen
- Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Fon Robinson Tezeh
- Ecophysiology and Vegetation Ecology, Julius-von-Sachs-Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 3, 97082, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Lucian Kaack
- Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Juliano Sarmento Cabral
- Ecosystem Modeling Group, Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology, University of Würzburg, Klara-Oppenheimer-Weg 32, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
- Biodiversity Modelling and Environmental Change, School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Bernhard Schuldt
- Ecophysiology and Vegetation Ecology, Julius-von-Sachs-Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 3, 97082, Würzburg, Germany
- Chair of Forest Botany, Institute of Forest Botany and Forest Zoology, Technical University of Dresden, Pienner Str. 7, 01737, Tharandt, Germany
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5
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Lens F, Gleason SM, Bortolami G, Brodersen C, Delzon S, Jansen S. Functional xylem characteristics associated with drought-induced embolism in angiosperms. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 236:2019-2036. [PMID: 36039697 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Hydraulic failure resulting from drought-induced embolism in the xylem of plants is a key determinant of reduced productivity and mortality. Methods to assess this vulnerability are difficult to achieve at scale, leading to alternative metrics and correlations with more easily measured traits. These efforts have led to the longstanding and pervasive assumed mechanistic link between vessel diameter and vulnerability in angiosperms. However, there are at least two problems with this assumption that requires critical re-evaluation: (1) our current understanding of drought-induced embolism does not provide a mechanistic explanation why increased vessel width should lead to greater vulnerability, and (2) the most recent advancements in nanoscale embolism processes suggest that vessel diameter is not a direct driver. Here, we review data from physiological and comparative wood anatomy studies, highlighting the potential anatomical and physicochemical drivers of embolism formation and spread. We then put forward key knowledge gaps, emphasising what is known, unknown and speculation. A meaningful evaluation of the diameter-vulnerability link will require a better mechanistic understanding of the biophysical processes at the nanoscale level that determine embolism formation and spread, which will in turn lead to more accurate predictions of how water transport in plants is affected by drought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederic Lens
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO Box 9517, 2300 RA, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden University, Institute of Biology Leiden, Plant Sciences, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Sean M Gleason
- Water Management and Systems Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
| | - Giovanni Bortolami
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO Box 9517, 2300 RA, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Craig Brodersen
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Sylvain Delzon
- University of Bordeaux, INRAE, BIOGECO, 33615, Pessac, France
| | - Steven Jansen
- Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, D-89081, Ulm, Germany
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6
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Levionnois S, Kaack L, Heuret P, Abel N, Ziegler C, Coste S, Stahl C, Jansen S. Pit characters determine drought-induced embolism resistance of leaf xylem across 18 Neotropical tree species. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 190:371-386. [PMID: 35567500 PMCID: PMC9434246 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiac223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Embolism spreading in xylem is an important component of plant drought resistance. Since embolism resistance has been shown to be mechanistically linked to pit membrane characters in stem xylem, we speculate that similar mechanisms account for leaf xylem. We conducted transmission electron microscopy to investigate pit membrane characters in leaf xylem across 18 Neotropical tree species. We also conducted gold perfusion and polar lipid detection experiments on three species covering the full range of leaf embolism resistance. We then related these observations to previously published data on embolism resistance of leaf xylem. We also incorporated previously published data on stem embolism resistance and stem xylem pit membranes to investigate the link between vulnerability segmentation (i.e. difference in embolism resistance) and leaf-stem anatomical variation. Maximum pit membrane thickness (Tpm,max) and the pit membrane thickness-to-diameter ratio (Tpm,max/Dpm) were predictive of leaf embolism resistance, especially when vestured pits were taken into account. Variation in Tpm,max/Dpm was the only trait predictive of vulnerability segmentation between leaves and stems. Gold particles of 5- and 10-nm infiltrated pit membranes in three species, while the entry of 50-nm particles was blocked. Moreover, polar lipids were associated with inner conduit walls and pits. Our results suggest that mechanisms related to embolism spreading are determined by Tpm, pore constrictions (i.e. the narrowest bottlenecks along pore pathways), and lipid surfactants, which are largely similar between leaf and stem xylem and between temperate and tropical trees. However, our mechanistic understanding of embolism propagation and the functional relevance of Tpm,max/Dpm remains elusive.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucian Kaack
- Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Ulm University, Ulm D-89081, Germany
| | | | - Nina Abel
- Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Ulm University, Ulm D-89081, Germany
| | - Camille Ziegler
- UMR EcoFoG, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, Kourou 97310, France
- Université de Lorraine, AgroParisTech, INRAE, UMR SILVA, Nancy 54000, France
| | - Sabrina Coste
- UMR EcoFoG, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, Kourou 97310, France
| | - Clément Stahl
- UMR EcoFoG, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, Kourou 97310, France
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7
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Jansen S, Bittencourt P, Pereira L, Schenk HJ, Kunert N. A crucial phase in plants - it's a gas, gas, gas! THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 233:1556-1559. [PMID: 35048375 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Steven Jansen
- Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Paulo Bittencourt
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4RJ, UK
| | - Luciano Pereira
- Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - H Jochen Schenk
- Department of Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, 800 N. State College Boulevard, Fullerton, CA, 92831, USA
| | - Norbert Kunert
- Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, Institute of Botany, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33, 1180, Vienna, Austria
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8
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Song Y, Poorter L, Horsting A, Delzon S, Sterck F. Pit and tracheid anatomy explain hydraulic safety but not hydraulic efficiency of 28 conifer species. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:1033-1048. [PMID: 34626106 PMCID: PMC8793876 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Conifers face increased drought mortality risks because of drought-induced embolism in their vascular system. Variation in embolism resistance may result from species differences in pit structure and function, as pits control the air seeding between water-transporting conduits. This study quantifies variation in embolism resistance and hydraulic conductivity for 28 conifer species grown in a 50-year-old common garden experiment and assesses the underlying mechanisms. Conifer species with a small pit aperture, high pit aperture resistance, and large valve effect were more resistant to embolism, as they all may reduce air seeding. Surprisingly, hydraulic conductivity was only negatively correlated with tracheid cell wall thickness. Embolism resistance and its underlying pit traits related to pit size and sealing were more strongly phylogenetically controlled than hydraulic conductivity and anatomical tracheid traits. Conifers differed in hydraulic safety and hydraulic efficiency, but there was no trade-off between safety and efficiency because they are driven by different xylem anatomical traits that are under different phylogenetic control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjun Song
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University and Research, PO Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Lourens Poorter
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University and Research, PO Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Angelina Horsting
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University and Research, PO Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sylvain Delzon
- University of Bordeaux, INRA, UMR BIOGECO, 33450 Talence, France
| | - Frank Sterck
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University and Research, PO Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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9
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Lintunen A, Salmon Y, Hölttä T, Suhonen H. Inspection of gas bubbles in frozen Betula pendula xylem with micro‐CT: Conduit size, water status and bark permeability affect bubble characteristics. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2022. [PMCID: PMC9540547 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Bubbles of gas trapped in the xylem during freezing are a major cause of damage for trees growing at high altitudes or latitudes, as the bubbles may cause embolism during thawing. Yet the factors controlling bubble formation upon freeze–thaw cycles remain poorly understood. Especially the size of the bubbles formed in the ice is crucial for winter embolism formation. We used high‐resolution X‐ray microtomography combined with freezing experiments to investigate the size and shape of 68,343 gas bubbles in frozen conduits in branches of Betula pendula. We also studied how conduit size, tree water status (−0.2 MPa vs. −0.6 MPa) and bark permeability to gases (decreased by Vaseline‐coating) affect the gas bubbles characteristics. High‐resolution X‐ray images allowed us to detect gas bubbles down to 1.0 μm in diameter and revealed that not only small spherical gas bubbles but also gaseous volumes of various shapes and sizes were found from the frozen xylem indicating that gas bubbles may have started to grow already during the freezing propagation. Most of the gas bubbles were found in fibers, but the rare gas bubbles found in the vessels were larger than those in the fibers. Bubble volume increased with conduit volume in both fibers and vessels, but conduit size alone could not explain gas bubble volume. Low water potential and restriction of gas escape from the branch seem to cause more, larger, and less spherical bubbles and thus increase the risk of embolism formation. These findings open new research avenues for further studies of winter embolism formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lintunen
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research/Physics, Faculty of ScienceUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research/Forest Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and ForestryUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Yann Salmon
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research/Physics, Faculty of ScienceUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research/Forest Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and ForestryUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Teemu Hölttä
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research/Forest Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and ForestryUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Heikki Suhonen
- Department of PhysicsUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
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10
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Trabi CL, Pereira L, Guan X, Miranda MT, Bittencourt PRL, Oliveira RS, Ribeiro RV, Jansen S. A User Manual to Measure Gas Diffusion Kinetics in Plants: Pneumatron Construction, Operation, and Data Analysis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:633595. [PMID: 34163496 PMCID: PMC8216216 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.633595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The Pneumatron device measures gas diffusion kinetics in the xylem of plants. The device provides an easy, low-cost, and powerful tool for research on plant water relations and gas exchange. Here, we describe in detail how to construct and operate this device to estimate embolism resistance of angiosperm xylem, and how to analyse pneumatic data. Simple and more elaborated ways of constructing a Pneumatron are shown, either using wires, a breadboard, or a printed circuit board. The instrument is based on an open-source hardware and software system, which allows users to operate it in an automated or semi-automated way. A step-by-step manual and a troubleshooting section are provided. An excel spreadsheet and an R-script are also presented for fast and easy data analysis. This manual aims at helping users to avoid common mistakes, such as unstable measurements of the minimum and maximum amount of gas discharged from xylem tissue, which has major consequences for estimating embolism resistance. Major advantages of the Pneumatron device include its automated and accurate measurements of gas diffusion rates, including highly precise measurements of the gas volume in intact, embolised conduits. It is currently unclear if the method can also be applied to woody monocots, gymnosperm species that possess torus-margo pit membranes, or to herbaceous species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luciano Pereira
- Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Center R&D in Ecophysiology and Biophysics, Agronomic Institute (IAC), Campinas, Brazil
- Department of Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Xinyi Guan
- Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Marcela T. Miranda
- Center R&D in Ecophysiology and Biophysics, Agronomic Institute (IAC), Campinas, Brazil
| | | | - Rafael S. Oliveira
- Department of Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Rafael V. Ribeiro
- Department of Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Steven Jansen
- Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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11
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Guan X, Pereira L, McAdam SAM, Cao KF, Jansen S. No gas source, no problem: Proximity to pre-existing embolism and segmentation affect embolism spreading in angiosperm xylem by gas diffusion. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2021; 44:1329-1345. [PMID: 33529382 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Embolism spreading in dehydrating angiosperm xylem is driven by gas movement between embolized and sap-filled conduits. Here we examine how the proximity to pre-existing embolism and hydraulic segmentation affect embolism propagation. Based on the optical method, we compare xylem embolism resistance between detached leaves and leaves attached to branches, and between intact leaves and leaves with cut minor veins, for six species. Embolism resistance of detached leaves was significantly lower than that of leaves attached to stems, except for two species, with all vessels ending in their petioles. Cutting of minor veins showed limited embolism spreading in minor veins near the cuts prior to major veins. Moreover, despite strong agreement in the overall embolism resistance of detached leaves between the optical and pneumatic method, minor differences were observed during early stages of embolism formation. We conclude that embolism resistance may represent a relative trait due to an open-xylem artefact, with embolism spreading possibly affected by the proximity and connectivity to pre-existing embolism as a gas source, while hydraulic segmentation prevents such artefact. Since embolism formation may not rely on a certain pressure difference threshold between functional and embolized conduits, we speculate that embolism is facilitated by pressure-driven gas diffusion across pit membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Guan
- Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Luciano Pereira
- Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology "Coaracy M. Franco", Center R&D in Ecophysiology and Biophysics, Agronomic Institute (IAC), Campinas, Brazil
- Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Department of Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Scott A M McAdam
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Kun-Fang Cao
- Plant Ecophysiology and Evolution Group, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilisation of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Steven Jansen
- Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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12
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Schenk HJ, Michaud JM, Mocko K, Espino S, Melendres T, Roth MR, Welti R, Kaack L, Jansen S. Lipids in xylem sap of woody plants across the angiosperm phylogeny. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 105:1477-1494. [PMID: 33295003 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Lipids have been observed attached to lumen-facing surfaces of mature xylem conduits of several plant species, but there has been little research on their functions or effects on water transport, and only one lipidomic study of the xylem apoplast. Therefore, we conducted lipidomic analyses of xylem sap from woody stems of seven plants representing six major angiosperm clades, including basal magnoliids, monocots and eudicots, to characterize and quantify phospholipids, galactolipids and sulfolipids in sap using mass spectrometry. Locations of lipids in vessels of Laurus nobilis were imaged using transmission electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. Xylem sap contained the galactolipids di- and monogalactosyldiacylglycerol, as well as all common plant phospholipids, but only traces of sulfolipids, with total lipid concentrations in extracted sap ranging from 0.18 to 0.63 nmol ml-1 across all seven species. Contamination of extracted sap from lipids in cut living cells was found to be negligible. Lipid composition of sap was compared with wood in two species and was largely similar, suggesting that sap lipids, including galactolipids, originate from cell content of living vessels. Seasonal changes in lipid composition of sap were observed for one species. Lipid layers coated all lumen-facing vessel surfaces of L. nobilis, and lipids were highly concentrated in inter-vessel pits. The findings suggest that apoplastic, amphiphilic xylem lipids are a universal feature of angiosperms. The findings require a reinterpretation of the cohesion-tension theory of water transport to account for the effects of apoplastic lipids on dynamic surface tension and hydraulic conductance in xylem.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Jochen Schenk
- Department of Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, 800 N. State College Boulevard, Fullerton, CA, 92831, USA
| | - Joseph M Michaud
- Department of Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, 800 N. State College Boulevard, Fullerton, CA, 92831, USA
| | - Kerri Mocko
- Department of Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, 800 N. State College Boulevard, Fullerton, CA, 92831, USA
| | - Susana Espino
- Department of Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, 800 N. State College Boulevard, Fullerton, CA, 92831, USA
| | - Tatiana Melendres
- Department of Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, 800 N. State College Boulevard, Fullerton, CA, 92831, USA
| | - Mary R Roth
- Kansas Lipidomics Research Center, Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Ruth Welti
- Kansas Lipidomics Research Center, Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Lucian Kaack
- Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Ulm, D-89081, Germany
| | - Steven Jansen
- Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Ulm, D-89081, Germany
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Jansen S, Guan X, Kaack L, Trabi C, Miranda M, Ribeiro R, Pereira L. The Pneumatron estimates xylem embolism resistance in angiosperms based on gas diffusion kinetics: a mini-review. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.17660/actahortic.2020.1300.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Yang J, M Michaud J, Jansen S, Schenk HJ, Zuo YY. Dynamic surface tension of xylem sap lipids. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 40:433-444. [PMID: 32031666 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpaa006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The surface tension of xylem sap has been traditionally assumed to be close to that of the pure water because decreasing surface tension is thought to increase vulnerability to air seeding and embolism. However, xylem sap contains insoluble lipid-based surfactants, which also coat vessel and pit membrane surfaces, where gas bubbles can enter xylem under negative pressure in the process known as air seeding. Because of the insolubility of amphiphilic lipids, the surface tension influencing air seeding in pit pores is not the equilibrium surface tension of extracted bulk sap but the local surface tension at gas-liquid interfaces, which depends dynamically on the local concentration of lipids per surface area. To estimate the dynamic surface tension in lipid layers that line surfaces in the xylem apoplast, we studied the time-dependent and surface area-regulated surface tensions of apoplastic lipids extracted from xylem sap of four woody angiosperm plants using constrained drop surfactometry. Xylem lipids were found to demonstrate potent surface activity, with surface tensions reaching an equilibrium at ~25 mN m-1 and varying between a minimum of 19 mN m-1 and a maximum of 68 mN m-1 when changing the surface area between 50 and 160% around the equilibrium surface area. It is concluded that xylem lipid films in natural conditions most likely range from nonequilibrium metastable conditions of a supersaturated compression state to an undersaturated expansion state, depending on the local surface areas of gas-liquid interfaces. Together with findings that maximum pore constrictions in angiosperm pit membranes are much smaller than previously assumed, low dynamic surface tension in xylem turns out to be entirely compatible with the cohesion-tension and air-seeding theories, as well as with the existence of lipid-coated nanobubbles in xylem sap, and with the range of vulnerabilities to embolism observed in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinlong Yang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2540 Dole Street, Holmes Hall 302, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Joseph M Michaud
- Department of Biological Science, California State University, 800 N. State College Blvd., Fullerton, CA 92831, USA
| | - Steven Jansen
- Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Ulm D-89081, Germany
| | - H Jochen Schenk
- Department of Biological Science, California State University, 800 N. State College Blvd., Fullerton, CA 92831, USA
| | - Yi Y Zuo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2540 Dole Street, Holmes Hall 302, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 1319 Punahou Street, Honolulu, HI 96826, USA
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Lee SJ, Park J, Ryu J. Hydrodynamic Study on the "Stop-and-Acceleration" Pattern of Refilling Flow at Perforation Plates by Using a Xylem-Inspired Channel. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 9:1931. [PMID: 30671075 PMCID: PMC6331423 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Porous structures, such as perforation plates and pit membranes, have attracted considerable attention due to their hydraulic regulation of water flow through vascular plant networks. However, limited information is available regarding the hydraulic functions of such structures during water-refilling and embolism repair because of difficulties in simultaneous in vivo measurements of refilling flow and pressure variations in xylem vessels. In this study, we developed a xylem-inspired microchannel with a porous mesh for systematic investigation on the hydraulic contribution of perforation plates on water-refilling. In particular, the "stop-and-acceleration" phenomenon of the water meniscus at the porous mesh structure was carefully examined in macroscopic and microscopic views. This distinctive phenomenon usually occurs in the xylem vessels of vascular plants during embolism repair. Based on the experimental results, we established a theoretical model of the flow characteristics and pressure variations around the porous structure inside the microchannel. Perforation plates could be speculated to be a pressure-modulated flow controller that facilitates embolism recovery. Furthermore, the proposed xylem-inspired channel can be used to investigate the hydraulic functions of porous structures for water management in plants.
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Schenk HJ, Espino S, Rich-Cavazos SM, Jansen S. From the sap's perspective: The nature of vessel surfaces in angiosperm xylem. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2018; 105:172-185. [PMID: 29578294 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Xylem sap in angiosperms moves under negative pressure in conduits and cell wall pores that are nanometers to micrometers in diameter, so sap is always very close to surfaces. Surfaces matter for water transport because hydrophobic ones favor nucleation of bubbles, and surface chemistry can have strong effects on flow. Vessel walls contain cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, pectins, proteins, and possibly lipids, but what is the nature of the inner, lumen-facing surface that is in contact with sap? METHODS Vessel lumen surfaces of five angiosperms from different lineages were examined via transmission electron microscopy and confocal and fluorescence microscopy, using fluorophores and autofluorescence to detect cell wall components. Elemental composition was studied by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and treatments with phospholipase C (PLC) were used to test for phospholipids. KEY RESULTS Vessel surfaces consisted mainly of lignin, with strong cellulose signals confined to pit membranes. Proteins were found mainly in inter-vessel pits and pectins only on outer rims of pit membranes and in vessel-parenchyma pits. Continuous layers of lipids were detected on most vessel surfaces and on most pit membranes and were shown by PLC treatment to consist at least partly of phospholipids. CONCLUSIONS Vessel surfaces appear to be wettable because lignin is not strongly hydrophobic and a coating with amphiphilic lipids would render any surface hydrophilic. New questions arise about these lipids and their possible origins from living xylem cells, especially about their effects on surface tension, surface bubble nucleation, and pit membrane function.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Jochen Schenk
- Department of Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA 92831, USA
| | - Susana Espino
- Department of Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA 92831, USA
| | - Sarah M Rich-Cavazos
- Department of Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA 92831, USA
| | - Steven Jansen
- Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, D-89081, Ulm, Germany
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Vesala T, Sevanto S, Grönholm T, Salmon Y, Nikinmaa E, Hari P, Hölttä T. Effect of Leaf Water Potential on Internal Humidity and CO 2 Dissolution: Reverse Transpiration and Improved Water Use Efficiency under Negative Pressure. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:54. [PMID: 28220128 PMCID: PMC5292819 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The pull of water from the soil to the leaves causes water in the transpiration stream to be under negative pressure decreasing the water potential below zero. The osmotic concentration also contributes to the decrease in leaf water potential but with much lesser extent. Thus, the surface tension force is approximately balanced by a force induced by negative water potential resulting in concavely curved water-air interfaces in leaves. The lowered water potential causes a reduction in the equilibrium water vapor pressure in internal (sub-stomatal/intercellular) cavities in relation to that over water with the potential of zero, i.e., over the flat surface. The curved surface causes a reduction also in the equilibrium vapor pressure of dissolved CO2, thus enhancing its physical solubility to water. Although the water vapor reduction is acknowledged by plant physiologists its consequences for water vapor exchange at low water potential values have received very little attention. Consequences of the enhanced CO2 solubility to a leaf water-carbon budget have not been considered at all before this study. We use theoretical calculations and modeling to show how the reduction in the vapor pressures affects transpiration and carbon assimilation rates. Our results indicate that the reduction in vapor pressures of water and CO2 could enhance plant water use efficiency up to about 10% at a leaf water potential of -2 MPa, and much more when water potential decreases further. The low water potential allows for a direct stomatal water vapor uptake from the ambient air even at sub-100% relative humidity values. This alone could explain the observed rates of foliar water uptake by e.g., the coastal redwood in the fog belt region of coastal California provided the stomata are sufficiently open. The omission of the reduction in the water vapor pressure causes a bias in the estimates of the stomatal conductance and leaf internal CO2 concentration based on leaf gas exchange measurements. Manufactures of leaf gas exchange measurement systems should incorporate leaf water potentials in measurement set-ups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timo Vesala
- Department of Physics, University of HelsinkiHelsinki, Finland
- Department of Forest Sciences, University of HelsinkiHelsinki, Finland
- Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of HelsinkiHelsinki, Finland
| | - Sanna Sevanto
- Earth and Environmental Sciences Division, Los Alamos National LaboratoryLos Alamos, NM, USA
| | - Tiia Grönholm
- Department of Physics, University of HelsinkiHelsinki, Finland
| | - Yann Salmon
- Department of Physics, University of HelsinkiHelsinki, Finland
| | - Eero Nikinmaa
- Department of Forest Sciences, University of HelsinkiHelsinki, Finland
| | - Pertti Hari
- Department of Forest Sciences, University of HelsinkiHelsinki, Finland
| | - Teemu Hölttä
- Department of Forest Sciences, University of HelsinkiHelsinki, Finland
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