Abstract
Much of atmospheric water originates from transpiration, the process by which plants release H2O from pores, known as stomata, that simultaneously intake CO2 for photosynthesis. Controlling stomatal aperture can regulate the extent of water transport in response to dynamic environmental factors including osmotic stress, temperature, light, and wind. While larger leaf regions are often examined, the extent of water vapor release from individual stomata remains unexplored. Using a “brush-on” sensing material, we can now assess transpiration using a water-responsive, polydiacetylene-based coating on the leaves surfaces. By eliciting a fluorometric signal to passing water vapor, we obtained information regarding the activity of individual stomata. In this demonstration, our results prove that this coating can identify the proportion of active stomata and the extent of transpirational diffusion of water in response to different conditions.
Highlights
It is well known that the rate of water movement into the plant is dictated in large part by the soil water potential as well as the ease of water passage through the soil, which are partially determined by the size of the soil particles and water availability[4]
Based on our investigations with exposure of PCDA-Im directly to aqueous solutions containing weak acid or salt showing no difference in the signal to water, we need not be concerned about any interfering effects due to the presence of plant chemicals such as abscisic acid or KCl
It is important to note that the guard cells, which comprise the stomatal complex and regulate the effective pore diameter, are already well known to be responsive to environmental stimuli such as light and temperature
Summary
It is well known that the rate of water movement into the plant is dictated in large part by the soil water potential as well as the ease of water passage through the soil, which are partially determined by the size of the soil particles and water availability[4]. Examining the extent of transpiration is crucial for determining plant adaptation to environmental stresses It is often examined by measuring the diameter of the stomata as well as their frequency or alternatively by looking at the bulk conductance of leaves; many combinations of diameter and number density may result in equivalent levels of stomatal conductance of water vapor[12]. In addition to the possibility of differences in aperture diameter, the heterogeneity in activity across the leaf surface may be a direct result of variance in the internal water vapor concentration in the air spaces beneath the stomata This may be effected by unequal proximity of individual stomata to the xylem or perhaps differences in the distribution and density of nearby mesophyll cells from which the water vapor is derived. We provide details of this unique approach to determining the proportion of active stomata, which by traditional techniques was previously unidentifiable at the level of individual stomata
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