Levine LH, Kwon M, Heyenga AG, Levine HG, Davin LB, Krikorian AD, Lewis NG.
Abstr Pap Am Chem Soc. 2000; 219 Pt 1: 55.
Dynamac Corporation, DYN-3, Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899, USA. Lanfang.Levine-1@kmail.ksc.nasa.gov
We investigated the influence of a microgravity environment on cellulose microfibril organization in plant cell walls, and its impact upon inducible compression wood formation in conifers. Firstly, super dwarf wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings were germinated on Earth and subsequently grown on Earth Orbit under microgravity conditions for 10 days. Cellulose microfibril (CMF) organization in the cortical parenchyma cell walls and secondary wall thickening patterns in the vessel elements of the primary roots of wheat from both 1 g- and microgravity-grown plants were examined. Freeze-etch/transmission electron microscopy revealed that both cell wall CMF's of the space grown wheat maintained the same organization and size as their 1 g-grown counterparts. Secondly, Douglas fir seedlings when mechanically bent in microgravity also formed compression wood (CW) as at 1 g; this revealed that the stresses introduced during mechanical bending induce CW formation even when the 1 g influence is essentially removed.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Atmospheric Pressure
- Cell Wall
- Environment
- Plant Roots
- Pseudotsuga
- Triticum
- Weightlessness
- Wood
- NASA Discipline Plant Biology
- Non-NASA Center
Other ID:
UI: 102195004
From Meeting Abstracts