Differential shrinkage of mesophyll cells in transpiring cotton leaves: implications for static and dynamic pools of water, and for water transport pathways
Martin Canny A D , Suan Chin Wong A , Cheng Huang B and Celia Miller CA Plant Science Division, Research School of Biology, RN Robertson Building, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.
B Centre for Advanced Microscopy, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.
C Division of Plant Industry, CSIRO, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: martin.canny@anu.edu.au
Functional Plant Biology 39(2) 91-102 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP11172
Submitted: 3 August 2011 Accepted: 15 November 2011 Published: 13 December 2011
Abstract
Shrinkage of palisade cells during transpiration, previously measured for sclerophyllous leaves of Eucalyptus where cells shrank equally, was compared with shrinkage in thin mesophytic leaves of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Selected vapour pressure differences (Δe) from 0.6 to 2.7 kPa were imposed during steady-state photosynthesis and transpiration. Leaves were then cryo-fixed and cryo-planed paradermally, and images obtained with a cryo-scanning electron microscope (CSEM). Diameters of palisade ‘cavity cells’ within sub-stomatal cavities, and surrounding palisade ‘matrix cells’ were measured on CSEM images. Cavity and spongy mesophyll cells shrank progressively down to Δe = 2.7 kPa, while matrix cells remained at the same diameter at all Δe. Diameters were also measured of cavity and matrix cells quasi-equilibrated with relative humidities (RHs) from 100% to 86%. In leaves quasi-equilibrated with 95% RH, the cavity cells shrank so much as to be almost unmeasurable, while matrix cells shrank by only 6%. These data suggest that there are two distinct pools of water in cotton leaves: cavity plus spongy mesophyll cells (two-thirds of leaf volume) which easily lose water; and matrix cells (one-third of leaf volume), which retain turgor down to relative water loss = 0.4, providing structural rigidity to prevent wilting. This phenomenon is probably widespread among mesophytic leaves.
Additional keywords: cell interconnections, relative water loss, sites of evaporation, stomatal cavities, transpiration pathway, wilting resistance.
References
Canny MJ (1990) What becomes of the transpiration stream? New Phytologist 114, 341–368.| What becomes of the transpiration stream?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Canny MJ (1995) Apoplastic water and solute movement: new rules for an old space. Annual Review of Plant Physiology and Plant Molecular Biology 46, 215–236.
| Apoplastic water and solute movement: new rules for an old space.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaK2MXmsVCqtbw%3D&md5=45e382451bb223bcf300b4ea2c616b33CAS |
Canny MJ, Huang CX (2006) Leaf water content and palisade cell size. New Phytologist 170, 75–85.
| Leaf water content and palisade cell size.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BD287ltFymtw%3D%3D&md5=d65617298211e4cdf11657660df723b5CAS |
Levitt J (1986) Recovery of turgor by wilted, excised cabbage leaves in the absence of water uptake. Plant Physiology 82, 147–153.
| Recovery of turgor by wilted, excised cabbage leaves in the absence of water uptake.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BC3cnhslWntQ%3D%3D&md5=9798f024dc89f18b2244e06ed3b09078CAS |
McCully ME, Canny MJ (2011) Cryo-SEM and cryoanalytical-SEM for plant biology (Online). In: PrometheusWiki: Online Protocols in Ecological and Environmental Physiology. Available at http://prometheuswiki.publish.csiro.au/tiki-custom_home.php [posted 11 March 2011; verified 18 November 2011]
McCully ME, Canny MJ, Huang CX (2009) Cryo-scanning electron microscopy (CSEM) in the advancement of functional plant biology. Morphological and anatomical applications. Functional Plant Biology 36, 97–124.
| Cryo-scanning electron microscopy (CSEM) in the advancement of functional plant biology. Morphological and anatomical applications.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McCully ME, Canny MJ, Huang CX, Miller C, Brink F (2010) Cryo-scanning electron microscopy (CSEM) in the advancement of functional plant biology: energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (CEDX) applications. Functional Plant Biology 37, 1011–1040.
| Cryo-scanning electron microscopy (CSEM) in the advancement of functional plant biology: energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (CEDX) applications.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Niklas K (1992) ‘Plant biomechanics.’ (The University of Chicago Press: Chicago)
Nobel PS (1970) ‘Physicochemical and environmental plant physiology’ (Academic Press: New York)
Pesacreta TC, Hasenstein KH (1999) The internal cuticle of Cirsium horridulum (Asteraceae) leaves. American Journal of Botany 86, 923–928.
| The internal cuticle of Cirsium horridulum (Asteraceae) leaves.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BC3MnhtVKnuw%3D%3D&md5=a519b92aa3fa966ea3ec40899b6c182eCAS |
Roderick ML, Canny MJ (2005) A mechanical interpretation of pressure chamber measurements – what does the strength of the squeeze tell us? Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 43, 323–336.
| A mechanical interpretation of pressure chamber measurements – what does the strength of the squeeze tell us?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2MXkt1Oju7w%3D&md5=7a303b4bdee06bce324f29e364d58918CAS |
Schulze E-D (1986) Carbon dioxide and water vapour exchange in response to drought in the atmosphere and in the soil. Annual Review of Plant Physiology 37, 247–274.
| Carbon dioxide and water vapour exchange in response to drought in the atmosphere and in the soil.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Scott FM (1950) Internal suberization of tissues. Botanical Gazette (Chicago, Ill.) 111, 378–394.
| Internal suberization of tissues.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaG3cXktFWrsQ%3D%3D&md5=236939e21210c8116e68319d8a860ff0CAS |
Stamm AJ (1964) ‘Wood and cellulose science.’ (Ronald Press: New York)
Weisz PR, Randall HC, Sinclair TR (1989) Water relations of turgor recovery and restiffening of wilted cabbage leaves in the absence of water uptake. Plant Physiology 91, 433–439.
| Water relations of turgor recovery and restiffening of wilted cabbage leaves in the absence of water uptake.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BC3cnhvFWruw%3D%3D&md5=7e1fb4ecec6e47c3f8d850caef4b7982CAS |
Wullschleger SD, Oosterhuis DM (1989) The occurrence of an internal cuticle in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) leaf stomates. Environmental and Experimental Botany 29, 229–235.
| The occurrence of an internal cuticle in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) leaf stomates.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Yakir D, DeNiro MJ, Rundel PW (1989) Isotopic inhomogeneity of leaf water: evidence and implications for the use of isotopic signals transduced in plants. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 53, 2769–2773.
| Isotopic inhomogeneity of leaf water: evidence and implications for the use of isotopic signals transduced in plants.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Yakir D, DeNiro MJ, Gat JR (1990) Natural deuterium, and oxygen-18 enrichment in leaf water of cotton plants grown under wet and dry conditions: evidence for water compartmentation and its dynamics. Plant, Cell & Environment 13, 49–56.
| Natural deuterium, and oxygen-18 enrichment in leaf water of cotton plants grown under wet and dry conditions: evidence for water compartmentation and its dynamics.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Zwieniecki MA, Brodribb TJ, Holbrook NM (2007) Hydraulic design of leaves: insights from rehydration kinetics. Plant, Cell & Environment 30, 910–921.
| Hydraulic design of leaves: insights from rehydration kinetics.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
