Plant-PET Scans: In Vivo Mapping of Xylem and Phloem Functioning. (October 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hubeau, Michiel; Steppe, Kathy
• Is Part Of: Trends in plant science. Volume 20:Number 10(2015)
• Page Start: 676
• Page End: 685
• Publication Date: 2015-10
• Subjects: Positron emission tomography (PET) -- medical imaging -- plant physiology -- water and sugar flow -- xylem and phloem transport -- xylem–phloem interaction; Botany -- Periodicals; Botanique -- Périodiques; Botany; Periodicals; 580.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2015.07.008
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1360-1385

Abstract

Abstract : Medical imaging techniques are rapidly expanding in the field of plant sciences. Positron emission tomography (PET) is advancing as a powerful functional imaging technique to decipher in vivo the function of xylem water flow (with 15 O or 18 F), phloem sugar flow (with 11 C or 18 F), and the importance of their strong coupling. However, much remains to be learned about how water flow and sugar distribution are coordinated in intact plants, both under present and future climate regimes. We propose to use PET analysis of plants (plant-PET) to visualize and generate these missing data about integrated xylem and phloem transport. These insights are crucial to understanding how a given environment will affect plant physiological processes and growth. Trends: There is evidence that PET can be successfully used in plant science, but the few plant-PET studies to date have been limited to short-term qualitative research, whereas routinely quantitative research should be aimed for. The function and coordination of xylem and phloem transport is currently under intense debate, and plant-PET, either alone or in combination with MRI and SPECT, may assist by visualizing these pathways and their interactions in vivo in intact plants. Compartmental analysis can be used to provide estimates of axial transport velocity and lateral exchange rates, which are important to advance our knowledge on xylem and phloem coupling. Plant-PET can be used to study carbon-assisted embolism repair, to unravel carbon storage regulation, and to quantify the contribution of woody tissue photosynthesis to the overall carbon budget of the plant.