Methods to Visualize Elements in Plants

Abstract

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 their own strengths and limitations.Here, we compare scanning/transmission electron microscopy-based energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS, TEM-EDS), X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM), particleinduced X-ray emission (microPIXE), laser ablation ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS), nanoscale secondary ion mass spectroscopy (NanoSIMS), 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.

Upgrade of the external beamline at the microanalytical center of the Jožef Stefan Institute

“…Mineral nutrients (Mg, S, P, K, Ca, Fe, Zn) are present in cereals but are unevenly distributed across the grains with the highest accumulation in tissues which are generally removed in the grain processing for the human consumption (seed coat, aleurone layer and embryo). Since understanding the localization and accumulation of elements in plants is an important topic in a range of fields, different techniques have been used for analysis of biological samples [16].…”

Translocation of Foliar Absorbed Zn in Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) Leaves

“…Firstly, it is useful to examine progressive changes in the distribution of elements in plants. In this regard, synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) is a valuable tool that can be used for obtaining maps showing the real-time element distribution in living plants ( Blamey et al, 2018 ; Kopittke et al, 2020 ). Secondly, RNA-sequence analysis is a powerful technique for understanding gene expression.…”

Subcellular dynamics studies of iron reveal how tissue‐specific distribution patterns are established in developing wheat grains

“…When applied to cereal grains, these techniques showed accumulation of iron in the crease, the aleurone layer and the scutellum of the embryo in wheat (Neal et al ., 2013; Singh et al ., 2013; De Brier et al ., 2016) and a similar pattern in other cereals (Takahashi et al ., 2009; Iwai et al ., 2012; Detterbeck et al ., 2020). Nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) has also become a significant tool to visualize minerals at the subcellular level due to its unique capabilities of high spatial resolution (50 nm), high sensitivity (ppm and ppb for some elements) and detection of trace elements and isotopes (for example see Malherbe et al ., 2016; Kopittke et al ., 2020). During NanoSIMS analysis, the sample surface is impacted with a high‐energy primary ion beam which causes sputtering of the surface and ejection of atoms and small molecules.…”