Non-destructive Three-dimensional Elemental Mapping in Intact Plant Tissues Using Confocal X-ray Microscopy

Abstract

Understanding elemental distributions in plants is critical for agricultural productivity, nutritional quality, and limiting the transfer of toxic elements into the food chain. Conventional elemental mapping techniques typically require thin sectioning or complex tomographic reconstructions, making three-dimensional analysis labor-intensive and destructive. Here, we present a non-destructive approach for three-dimensional elemental mapping in intact plant tissues using confocal X-ray fluorescence (XRF) microscopy with a collimating channel array (CCA) [1]. This method defines a localized 3D detection volume within the sample, enabling the generation of elemental virtual cross-sections without physical sectioning while preserving native spatial relationships. We demonstrate the capability of this technique by mapping Fe distributions in carrot (Daucus carota) roots and shoots and Cd distributions in root tips of near-isogenic wheat (Triticum aestivum) lines. Integration of multiple virtual sections enabled three-dimensional reconstructions that reveal distinct Cd translocation pathways between accumulating and non-accumulating wheat lines, tracing elemental movement from the epidermis through cortical layers into vascular tissues. The method is applicable to diverse plant morphologies, including cylindrical roots and irregular leaf and stem tissues. This approach enables high-sensitivity, non-destructive 3D elemental imaging, providing a powerful tool for studying elemental transport in plants with direct relevance to crop breeding, food safety, and agricultural sustainability [2].

Plant phenotyping relevance

植物組織内の元素分布という生理状態を、非破壊3D XRFで取得・再構成する手法の開発と植物試料での実証が中心である。

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