TY - JOUR

T1 - Methods to Visualize Elements in Plants

AU - Kopittke, Peter M.

AU - Lombi, Enzo

AU - van der Ent, Antony

AU - Wang, Peng

AU - Laird, Jamie S.

AU - Moore, Katie L.

AU - Persson, Daniel P.

AU - Husted, Søren

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - A comparison of techniques for visualizing element distribution in plants assists researchers in selecting the method most useful for their particular research program or application.Understanding the distribution of elements in plants is important for researchers across a broad range of fields, including plant molecular biology, agronomy, plant physiology, plant nutrition, and ionomics. However, it is often challenging to evaluate the applicability of the wide range of techniques available, with each having its own strengths and limitations. Here, we compare scanning/transmission electron microscopy-based energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray fluorescence microscopy, particle-induced x-ray emission, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, nanoscale secondary ion mass spectroscopy, autoradiography, and confocal microscopy with fluorophores. For these various techniques, we compare their accessibility, their ability to analyze hydrated tissues (without sample preparation) and suitability for in vivo analyses, as well as examining their most important analytical merits, such as resolution, sensitivity, depth of analysis, and the range of elements that can be analyzed. We hope that this information will assist other researchers to select, access, and evaluate the approach that is most useful in their particular research program or application.

AB - A comparison of techniques for visualizing element distribution in plants assists researchers in selecting the method most useful for their particular research program or application.Understanding the distribution of elements in plants is important for researchers across a broad range of fields, including plant molecular biology, agronomy, plant physiology, plant nutrition, and ionomics. However, it is often challenging to evaluate the applicability of the wide range of techniques available, with each having its own strengths and limitations. Here, we compare scanning/transmission electron microscopy-based energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray fluorescence microscopy, particle-induced x-ray emission, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, nanoscale secondary ion mass spectroscopy, autoradiography, and confocal microscopy with fluorophores. For these various techniques, we compare their accessibility, their ability to analyze hydrated tissues (without sample preparation) and suitability for in vivo analyses, as well as examining their most important analytical merits, such as resolution, sensitivity, depth of analysis, and the range of elements that can be analyzed. We hope that this information will assist other researchers to select, access, and evaluate the approach that is most useful in their particular research program or application.

KW - MICRO-PIXE

KW - MANGANESE TOXICITY

KW - SEED DEVELOPMENT

KW - WHEAT GRAINS

KW - LOCALIZATION

KW - LEAVES

KW - IRON

KW - SPECIATION

KW - NICKEL

KW - ZINC

U2 - 10.1104/pp.19.01306

DO - 10.1104/pp.19.01306

M3 - Review

C2 - 31974126

VL - 182

SP - 1869

EP - 1882

JO - Plant Physiology

JF - Plant Physiology

SN - 0032-0889

IS - 4

ER -