U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Crops Pathology and Genetics Research: Davis, CA
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    Careers


        


                    Outreach Events
                        UC Davis Picnic Day
                                    Kinders go to College
                                    STEM Girls
                                    Future Scientist Program
                                    Agriculture Future of America
                                    Wallace-Carver Fellowship
                                    Young Scholars Program
                                    Annual Awards Banquet
                    About Us
                        About Us
                                    Our Mission
                                    Principal InvestigatorsSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Pacific West Area Davis, California Crops Pathology and Genetics Research Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications
- Etiology and Biology of Tree Crop Diseases
- Rice Genetics
- Sustainable Floriculture
- Sustainable Viticulture

Title:   Author  item
                                            BRODERSON, CRAIG - University Of Californiaitem
                                            McElrone, Andrewitem
                                            CHOAT, BRENDAN - Australian National Universityitem
                                            MATTHEWS, MARK - University Of Californiaitem
                                            SHACKEL, KEN - University Of California
  Submitted to: Plant Physiology
                                    Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/2010
                                    Publication  Date: 11/1/2010
                                    Citation: Broderson, C.R., Mcelrone, A.J., Choat, B., Matthews, M.A., Shackel, K. 2010. Dynamics of embolism repair in xylem: in vivo visualizations using High Resolution Computed Tomography. Plant Physiology. 154(3):1088-1095.Interpretive Summary: Water moves through plants under tension and in a thermodynamically metastable state, leaving the non-living vessels that transport this water vulnerable to blockage by gas embolisms. Failure to re-establish flow in embolized vessels can lead to systemic loss of hydraulic conductivity and ultimately death. Most plants have developed a mechanism to restore vessel functionality by refilling embolized vessels, but the details of this process in vessel networks under tension have remained unclear for decades. Here we present the first in vivo visualization and quantification of the refilling process for any species using high resolution x-ray computed tomography. Successful vessel refilling in grapevine (Vitis vinifera) was dependent on water influx from surrounding living tissue at a rate of 6*10**-4 μm s**-1, with individual droplets expanding over time, filling vessels, and forcing the dissolution of entrapped gas. Both filling and draining processes could be observed in the same vessel, indicating that successful refilling requires hydraulic isolation from tensions that would otherwise prevent embolism repair. Our study demonstrates that despite the presence of tensions in the bulk xylem, plants are able to restore hydraulic conductivity in the xylem.
                                Technical Abstract: Water moves through plants under tension and in a thermodynamically metastable state, leaving the non-living vessels that transport this water vulnerable to blockage by gas embolisms. Failure to re-establish flow in embolized vessels can lead to systemic loss of hydraulic conductivity and ultimately death. Most plants have developed a mechanism to restore vessel functionality by refilling embolized vessels, but the details of this process in vessel networks under tension have remained unclear for decades. Here we present the first in vivo visualization and quantification of the refilling process for any species using high resolution x-ray computed tomography. Successful vessel refilling in grapevine (Vitis vinifera) was dependent on water influx from surrounding living tissue at a rate of 6*10**-4 μm s**-1, with individual droplets expanding over time, filling vessels, and forcing the dissolution of entrapped gas. Both filling and draining processes could be observed in the same vessel, indicating that successful refilling requires hydraulic isolation from tensions that would otherwise prevent embolism repair. Our study demonstrates that despite the presence of tensions in the bulk xylem, plants are able to restore hydraulic conductivity in the xylem.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov