Analysis of Arabidopsis root systems grown in space by X-ray Micro-CT at SPring-8
Abstract
To understand response of plant root systems to altered gravitational conditions, it is necessary to visualize them three dimensionally. For this purpose we have tried three-dimensional visualization of morphology of root systems of Arabidopsis plants, which were grown in the international Space Station Kibo module, using X-ray micro-CT at the BL20B2 beamline of SPring-8. Offset scanning at Hutch 3 of the beamline enabled reconstruction of almost the entire region of the rockwool slab (60 × 60 × 20 mm) and provided an overview of the distribution of root systems. Observation at Hutch 1 and reconstruction of regions of 5 × 5 × 10 mm enabled discrimination of finer roots and rockwool fibers. Root systems were modeled manually in three dimension from the reconstructed volume data and comparisons were made between microgravity and Space 1 G though still preliminary. As a result, length of main roots tended to increase under microgravity while total length of lateral roots tended to decrease. Tortuosity of roots tended to decrease under microgravity. The synchrotron radiation experiments were performed at the BL20B2 and BL20XU of SPring-8, with the approval of the JASRI (Proposal Nos. 2014B1225, 2015B1556 and 2017B1225, 2018B1182 and 2019A1130).
- Publication:
-
43rd COSPAR Scientific Assembly. Held 28 January - 4 February
- Pub Date:
- January 2021
- Bibcode:
- 2021cosp...43E1820K