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Published on April 16, 2008; 10.1104/pp.108.118935

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Received March 10, 2008
Accepted April 13, 2008

3-D gas exchange pathways in pome fruit characterised by synchrotron X-ray computed tomography

Pieter Verboven *, Greet Kerckhofs , Hibru Kelemu Mebatsion , Quang Tri Ho , Kristiaan Temst , Martine Wevers , Peter Cloetens , and Bart M. Nicolai

Division BIOSYST-MeBioS, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Willem de Croylaan 42, BE-3001 Leuven, Belgium; Research group of Materials Performance and Non-destructive Evaluation, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 44, BE-3001 Leuven, Belgium; Nuclear and Radiation Physics Section, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200d, BE-3001 Leuven, Belgium; European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 6 rue Jules Horowitz, BP220, 38043 Grenoble Cedex, France

* Corresponding author; email: pieter.verboven{at}biw.kuleuven.be.

Our understanding of the gas exchange mechanisms in plant organs critically depends on insights in the 3-D structural arrangement of cells and voids. Using synchrotron radiation X-ray tomography, we obtained for the first time high contrast 3-D absorption images of in vivo fruit tissues of high moisture content at 1.4 µm resolution and 3-D phase contrast images of cell assemblies at a resolution as low as 0.7 µm, enabling visualization of individual cell morphology, cell walls and entire void networks that were previously unknown. Intercellular spaces were always clear of water. The apple cortex contains considerably larger parenchyma cells and voids than pear parenchyma. Voids in apple often are larger than the surrounding cells and some cells are not connected to void spaces. The main voids in apple stretch hundreds of micrometers but are disconnected. Voids in pear cortex tissue are always smaller than parenchyma cells, but each cell is surrounded by a tight and continuous network of voids, except near brachyssclereid groups. Vascular and dermal tissues were also measured. The visualised network achitecture was consistent over different picking dates and shelf life. The differences in void fraction (5.1 % for pear cortex and 23.0 % for apple cortex) and in gas network architecture helps explain the ability of tissues to facilitate or impede gas exchange. Structural changes and anisotropy of tissues may eventually lead to physiological disorders. A combined tomography and internal gas analysis during growth are needed to make progress on the understanding of void formation in fruit.




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