Raman Imaging of Plant Cell Walls

Abstract

AbstractTo gain a better understanding of plant cell walls, several microscopic and chemical methods have been used for their analysis in recent years. However, a knowledge gap exists about the location, quantity, and structural arrangement of molecules on the micrometer scale within the native cell wall. Advances in confocal Raman microscopy and imaging have tackled this problem in a non-invasive way and provide chemical and structural information in situ with a high spatial resolution (< 0.5 μm).Examples of high-resolution Raman imaging on wood cells are given, showing that changes in polymer chemistry and orientation can be followed within and between different cell wall layers. In horsetail (Equisetum hyemale [E. Hyemale]) tissue, in addition to the mapping of plant cell wall polymers, the distribution of amorphous silica is investigated. Area scans from a cross-section are included as well as a depth profiling within a silica-rich knob on the outer stem wall.KeywordsCell WallPlant Cell WallAmorphous SilicaSecondary Cell WallPrimary Cell WallThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.