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The application of contrast media for in vivo feature enhancement in X-ray Computed Tomography of soil-grown plant roots

The application of contrast media for in vivo feature enhancement in X-ray Computed Tomography of soil-grown plant roots
The application of contrast media for in vivo feature enhancement in X-ray Computed Tomography of soil-grown plant roots
The use of in vivo X-ray Computed Tomography (?CT) to study plant root systems has become routine, but is often hampered by poor contrast between roots, soil, soil water and soil organic matter. In clinical radiology, imaging of poorly contrasting regions is frequently aided by the use of radio-opaque contrast media. In this study, we present evidence for the utility of iodinated contrast media (ICM) in the study of plant root systems using ?CT. Different dilutions of an ionic and non-ionic ICM (Gastrografin 370 and Niopam 300) were perfused into the aerial vasculature of juvenile pea plants via a leaf flap (Pisum sativum). The root systems were imaged via ?CT, and a variety of image-processing approaches used to quantify and compare the magnitude of the contrast enhancement between different regions. Though the treatment did not appear to significantly aid extraction of full root system architectures from the surrounding soil, it did allow the xylem and phloem units of seminal roots and the vascular morphology within rhizobial nodules to be clearly visualised. The non-ionic, low osmolality contrast agent Niopam appeared to be well tolerated by the plant, whilst Gastrografin showed evidence of toxicity.
X-ray computed tomography, plant roots, contrast agents, imaging
1431-9276
538-552
Keyes, Samuel
ed3ee62b-e257-4b92-922c-023b232e8145
Gostling, Neil
4840aa40-cb6c-4112-a0b9-694a869523fc
Cheung, Jessica H.
f2addb42-ed9c-4ae4-9f88-ebb72a28b1cc
Roose, Tiina
3581ab5b-71e1-4897-8d88-59f13f3bccfe
Sinclair, Ian
6005f6c1-f478-434e-a52d-d310c18ade0d
Marchant, Alan
3e54d51c-53b0-4df0-b428-2e73b071ee8e
Keyes, Samuel
ed3ee62b-e257-4b92-922c-023b232e8145
Gostling, Neil
4840aa40-cb6c-4112-a0b9-694a869523fc
Cheung, Jessica H.
f2addb42-ed9c-4ae4-9f88-ebb72a28b1cc
Roose, Tiina
3581ab5b-71e1-4897-8d88-59f13f3bccfe
Sinclair, Ian
6005f6c1-f478-434e-a52d-d310c18ade0d
Marchant, Alan
3e54d51c-53b0-4df0-b428-2e73b071ee8e

Keyes, Samuel, Gostling, Neil, Cheung, Jessica H., Roose, Tiina, Sinclair, Ian and Marchant, Alan (2017) The application of contrast media for in vivo feature enhancement in X-ray Computed Tomography of soil-grown plant roots. Microscopy and Microanalysis, 23 (3), 538-552. (doi:10.1017/S1431927617000319).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The use of in vivo X-ray Computed Tomography (?CT) to study plant root systems has become routine, but is often hampered by poor contrast between roots, soil, soil water and soil organic matter. In clinical radiology, imaging of poorly contrasting regions is frequently aided by the use of radio-opaque contrast media. In this study, we present evidence for the utility of iodinated contrast media (ICM) in the study of plant root systems using ?CT. Different dilutions of an ionic and non-ionic ICM (Gastrografin 370 and Niopam 300) were perfused into the aerial vasculature of juvenile pea plants via a leaf flap (Pisum sativum). The root systems were imaged via ?CT, and a variety of image-processing approaches used to quantify and compare the magnitude of the contrast enhancement between different regions. Though the treatment did not appear to significantly aid extraction of full root system architectures from the surrounding soil, it did allow the xylem and phloem units of seminal roots and the vascular morphology within rhizobial nodules to be clearly visualised. The non-ionic, low osmolality contrast agent Niopam appeared to be well tolerated by the plant, whilst Gastrografin showed evidence of toxicity.

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Contrast_Media_Revised_Manuscript_Edits_Applied_20161220.docx - Accepted Manuscript
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Accepted/In Press date: 31 January 2017
e-pub ahead of print date: 21 March 2017
Published date: June 2017
Keywords: X-ray computed tomography, plant roots, contrast agents, imaging
Organisations: Bioengineering Group, Engineering Science Unit, Centre for Biological Sciences

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 405305
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/405305
ISSN: 1431-9276
PURE UUID: 564dbbad-6b45-485e-8835-5a173e06db21
ORCID for Samuel Keyes: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-4129-2228
ORCID for Neil Gostling: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-5960-7769
ORCID for Tiina Roose: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-8710-1063

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Date deposited: 02 Feb 2017 13:31
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 04:10

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Contributors

Author: Samuel Keyes ORCID iD
Author: Neil Gostling ORCID iD
Author: Jessica H. Cheung
Author: Tiina Roose ORCID iD
Author: Ian Sinclair
Author: Alan Marchant

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