Abstract
BackgroundPositron imaging can be used to non-destructively visualize the dynamics of a positron-emitting radionuclide in vivo, and is therefore a tool for understanding the mechanisms of nutrient transport in intact plants. The transport of zinc, which is one of the most important nutrient elements for plants, has so far been visualized by positron imaging using 62Zn (half-life: 9.2 h), which is manufactured in the limited number of facilities that have a cyclotron. In contrast, the positron-emitting radionuclide 65Zn (half-life: 244 days) is commercially available worldwide. In this study, we examined the possibility of conducting positron imaging of zinc in intact plants using 65Zn.ResultsBy administering 65Zn and imaging over a long time, clear serial images of 65Zn distributions from the root to the panicle of dwarf rice plants were successfully obtained.ConclusionsNon-destructive visualization of zinc dynamics in plants was achieved using commercially available 65Zn and a positron imaging system, demonstrating that zinc dynamics can be visualized even in facilities without a cyclotron.
Highlights
Positron imaging can be used to non-destructively visualize the dynamics of a positron-emitting radionuclide in vivo, and is a tool for understanding the mechanisms of nutrient transport in intact plants
The radionuclides typically used for positron imaging of plants are limited to 11C, 13N, 15O, and 18F, which are processed using well-established purification methods developed for medical research [3, 9]
The tracer solution containing 65Zn was administered to dwarf rice plants and the dynamics of 65Zn in intact whole plants was monitored by positron-emitting tracer imaging system (PETIS) (Fig. 1a)
Summary
Positron imaging can be used to non-destructively visualize the dynamics of a positron-emitting radionuclide in vivo, and is a tool for understanding the mechanisms of nutrient transport in intact plants. We have previously studied positron imaging of minor essential and toxic elements, such as 64Cu (half-life: 12.7 h) [10] and 107Cd (halflife: 6.5 h) [11,12,13,14,15,16], using the positron-emitting tracer imaging system (PETIS), a two-dimensional positron imaging system (special resolution: approximately 2 mm) This approach involves difficulties in purifying the positron-emitting metal radionuclides in other research facilities. The implementation of positron imaging for plant research is limited to research facilities with a cyclotron, where positron-emitting
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