Fourier transform infrared-spectroscopic characterisation of isolated endodermal cell walls from plant roots: chemical nature in relation to anatomical development

• Published in: Planta 1999-10, Vol.209 (4), p.537-542
• Main Authors: Zeier, J, Schreiber, L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; carbohydrates; Cell physiology; cell wall components; Cell walls; Cells, cell elements: structure and function; chemical constituents of plants; Cicer arietinum; Cirques; Clivia miniata; Economic plant physiology; Endodermis; Fourier transformations; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Infrared radiation; Infrared spectrum; Iris germanica; Lignin; Morphology. Anatomy. Histology. Cytology; nondestructive methods; plant development; Plant physiology and development; plant proteins; Plant roots; roots; species differences; spectral analysis; Spectral bands; suberin; Vibration
• ISSN: 0032-0935; 1432-2048
• DOI: 10.1007/s004250050758

The chemical nature of enzymatically isolated endodermal cell walls from Cicer arietinum L., Clivia miniata Reg. and Iris germanica L. was studied by FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) spectroscopy. Observed frequencies were assigned to functional groups present in the cell wall and relative amounts of the biopolymers suberin and lignin, cell wall carbohydrates and proteins were determined. Infrared absorption spectra indicated structural characteristics for the three different developmental states of the isolated endodermal cell wall: primary endodermis with Casparian strips (state I), secondary endodermis with suberin lamellae (state II), and tertiary endodermis with U-shaped cell wall depositions (state III). The data obtained from this study are compared with previous results obtained by chemical degradation of isolated endodermal cell walls and subsequent determination of monomeric degradation products by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. It is concluded that FTIR spectroscopy represents a direct and nondestructive method suitable for the rapid investigation of isolated plant cell walls. Furthermore, the observation that the suberin-assigned absorption bands disappeared after transesterification of the samples with BF(3)-methanol confirmed that suberin is completely degraded by this treatment.