Abstract
When leaf epidermal cells are puncture wounded with a glass microcapillary tip, a small droplet of fluid is discharged and then evaporates, leaving a solid residue on the cell surface. For puncture wounds of about 3.5 micrometers in diameter, this process is complete within 2 to 3 seconds. A second puncture wound also exhibits a similar discharge, indicating the persistence of some turgor pressure within the cell, despite damage to the cell wall. Direct measurement of turgor on the large epidermal cells of Tradescantia virginiana L. demonstrated that turgor was substantially maintained (91-96%) after puncture wounding. Anatomical and histochemical evidence suggests that the damaged portion of the cell wall was sealed with an amorphous plug of material comprised of pectinaceous polysaccharides. Rapid sealing of puncture wounds and the maintenance of turgor in epidermal cells may be an important functional component of plant adaptation to physical damage such as that caused by insect feeding.
Full text
PDF
Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Cosgrove D. J., Cleland R. E. Osmotic properties of pea internodes in relation to growth and auxin action. Plant Physiol. 1983 Jun;72(2):332–338. doi: 10.1104/pp.72.2.332. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Greenspan P., Mayer E. P., Fowler S. D. Nile red: a selective fluorescent stain for intracellular lipid droplets. J Cell Biol. 1985 Mar;100(3):965–973. doi: 10.1083/jcb.100.3.965. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hughes J., McCully M. E. The use of an optical brightener in the study of plant structure. Stain Technol. 1975 Sep;50(5):319–329. doi: 10.3109/10520297509117082. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hüsken D., Steudle E., Zimmermann U. Pressure probe technique for measuring water relations of cells in higher plants. Plant Physiol. 1978 Feb;61(2):158–163. doi: 10.1104/pp.61.2.158. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Shackel K. A., Brinckmann E. In Situ Measurement of Epidermal Cell Turgor, Leaf Water Potential, and Gas Exchange in Tradescantia virginiana L. Plant Physiol. 1985 May;78(1):66–70. doi: 10.1104/pp.78.1.66. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Shackel K. A. Direct measurement of turgor and osmotic potential in individual epidermal cells : independent confirmation of leaf water potential as determined by in situ psychrometry. Plant Physiol. 1987 Apr;83(4):719–722. doi: 10.1104/pp.83.4.719. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Shackel K. A., Matthews M. A., Morrison J. C. Dynamic Relation between Expansion and Cellular Turgor in Growing Grape (Vitis vinifera L.) Leaves. Plant Physiol. 1987 Aug;84(4):1166–1171. doi: 10.1104/pp.84.4.1166. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Weis K. G., Polito V. S., Labavitch J. M. Microfluorometry of pectic materials in the dehiscence zone of almond (Prunus dulcis [Mill.] DA Webb) fruits. J Histochem Cytochem. 1988 Aug;36(8):1037–1041. doi: 10.1177/36.8.3392393. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]