Plant fiber intrusive growth characterized by NMR method

• Published in: Russian journal of plant physiology Vol. 53; no. 2; pp. 163 - 168
• Main Authors: Snegireva, A. V., Ageeva, M. V., Vorob’ev, V. N., Anisimov, A. V., Gorshkova, T. A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.03.2006
• Subjects: Linum usitatissimum
• ISSN: 1021-4437; 1608-3407
• DOI: 10.1134/S1021443706020038

Intrusively growing plant cells insert themselves between surrounding cells, thus increasing the number of membranes on the tissue cross-section. This parameter can be assessed by spin echo NMR method with a magnetic field pulse gradient. Diffusion echo decay was measured for stem regions of long-fiber flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) differing in the stages of primary fiber development, which elongate thousand-fold during intrusive growth. Additionally, the number of fibers on stem cross-sections was counted under microscope. An increase in the slow component of the echo diffusion decay was correlated with an increase in the number of fibers on the stem cross-section in the zone of intrusive growth, while other stem-structure characteristics remained unchanged. Thus, NMR method can be used for characterization of intrusive fiber growth in situ.