Abstract
Mechanical properties are rarely used as quantitative indices for the large-scale mutant screening of plants, even in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The mechanical properties of plant stems generally influence their vibrational characteristics. Here, we developed Python-based software, named AraVib, for the high-throughput analysis of free vibrations of plant stems, focusing specifically on Arabidopsis stem vibrations, and its extended version, named AraVibS, to identify mutants with altered mechanical properties. These programs can be used without knowledge of Python and require only an inexpensive handmade setting stand and an iPhone/iPad with a high-speed shooting function for data acquisition. Using our system, we identified an nst1 nst3 double-mutant lacking secondary cell walls in fiber cells and a wrky12 mutant displaying ectopic formation of secondary cell wall compared with wild type by employing only two growth traits (stem height and fresh weight) in addition to videos of stem vibrations. Furthermore, we calculated the logarithmic decrement, the damping ratio, the natural frequency and the stiffness based on the spring-mass-damper model from the video data using AraVib. The stiffness was estimated to be drastically decreased in nst1 nst3, which agreed with previous tensile test results. However, in wrky12, the stiffness was significantly increased. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of our new system. Because our method can be applied in a high-throughput manner, it can be used to screen for mutants with altered mechanical properties.
Highlights
Lignocellulosic biomass, which comes mainly from plant cell walls, is one of the largest renewable resources, which are indispensable for human society
To promote the application of vibrational analyses in the field of molecular genetics using A. thaliana, we developed Python-based software for the high-throughput analysis of Arabidopsis stem vibrations and an extended version, named AraVibS, to identify Arabidopsis mutants with altered mechanical properties
We developed the experimental method and the AraVib software to analyze the free vibrations of stems fixed at their basal ends
Summary
Lignocellulosic biomass, which comes mainly from plant cell walls, is one of the largest renewable resources, which are indispensable for human society. It has an extremely broad range of uses, including in fuels, paper, building materials, furniture, crafts, biochemicals, biomaterials, and acoustic instruments. Its production and the selection of plant species with highyield/quality lignocellulose levels are being actively studied. Lignocellulosic biomass consists mainly of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, which are high-molecular weight polymers that interact with. High-Throughput Analysis of Stem Vibrations each other in a complex manner, making lignocellulose highly recalcitrant. Because the secondary cell walls form a large proportion of the plant biomass, their recalcitrance to degradation could be a focus of molecular and traditional breeding
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