Toward a better understanding of angiosperm xylogenesis: a new method for a cellular approach

Abstract

The kinetics of wood formation in angiosperms are largely unknown because their complex xylem anatomy precludes using the radial position of vessels and fibers to infer their time of differentiation.We analyzed xylogenesis in ring-porous ash (Fraxinus angustifolia) and diffuse-porous beech (Fagus sylvatica) over 1 yr and proposed a novel procedure to assess the period of vessel and fiber enlargement using a referential radial file (RRF).Our approach captured the dynamics of wood formation and provided a robust estimation of the kinetics of vessel and fiber enlargement. In beech, fibers and vessels had a similar duration of enlargement, decreasing from 14 to 5 d between April and July. In ash, wide vessels formed in April enlarged at a rate of 27 × 10 3 μm 2 d −1 , requiring half the time of contemporary fibers (6 vs 12 d), and less time than the narrower vessels (14 d) formed in May.These findings reveal distinct cell-type-dependent mechanisms for differentiation in diffuseporous and ring-porous trees, enhancing our understanding of angiosperm wood cell kinetics. Our approach presents an effective method for investigating angiosperm wood formation and provides a more accurate representation of vessel and fiber morphogenesis in wood formation models.

Reconstruction of Seasonal Kinetics in Conifer Radial Growth from Daily Meteorological Conditions, Tree-Ring Width, and Radial Size of Tracheids

“…If such reconstructions can be realized for different conifers growing in the same climatic region, this could help to determine the range of resistance of species to environmental fluctuations, primarily climatic ones. Combining this approach with the first attempts to quantitatively describe the kinetics of wood formation in angiosperm trees, such as in [53], may also prove to be extremely useful, considering the widespread dominance of broadleaved forests and woody species across the globe.…”

Impact of Environmental Conditions on Wood Anatomical Traits of Green Alder (Alnus alnobetula) at the Alpine Treeline

“…In our study, however, MVA and HD did not differ significantly between the S-and N-site. However, tracheid enlargement might be based on turgor control in gymnosperms [66], while in more complex angiosperms, cell differentiation is probably actively regulated by endogen mechanisms rather than being a result of passive processes [76]. Anatomical traits are often under strong genetic control [58,73] suggesting species-specific adaptations to environmental impacts.…”

New Methods in Digital Wood Anatomy: The Use of Pixel-Contrast Densitometry with Example of Angiosperm Shrubs in Southern Siberia

“…Digital wood anatomy, as a new direction in the study of xylogenesis and the influence of environmental factors on the seasonal growth and structure of tree rings, uses new technologies intensively and develops software for an automated analysis of tree rings [1][2][3][4][5]. One of the important problems in digital wood anatomy is the development of fast, simple, accurate, and statistically adequate methods for primary measurements [1,6,7]. A recently published paper introduced a pixel-contrast (PiC) densitometry technique designed to estimate the density profile of conifer tree rings from wood samples with polished cross-sections [8].…”