Basic Study of Information Processing in Living Plants

分析完整的细胞或组织中的生物活性对于理解植物的信息处理是必不可少的。这些活体测量技术还没有得到很好的发展，特别是对根的测量。我们研究了一种利用中子束对活体植物中的水分进行无损成像以了解植物体内信息处理的方法，以及利用发射正电子的核素进行正电子发射断层扫描(PET)的方法。中子束技术提供了迄今可观察到的组织内水的最高分辨率。由于对水具有高度的特异性，这种中子束技术可以拍摄种子或根部中的水分运动，以及发育过程中木材和分生组织中的水分运动。现在可获得的图像分辨率约为15微米。首先，我们研究了这种新技术如何在植物研究领域进行新的研究。接下来，我们重点研究了豌豆的蓄水功能和大豆根部埋入土壤中的活性。最后，我们试着让水…更多活植物的CT图像。以亚洲和非洲干旱地区非常重要的作物豌豆为例，我们发现第一片叶子和第一片三叶之间的茎储存了水分，当进行干燥处理时，这些水被供应给其他植物组织，以支持植物的活动。用中子束研究了茎中的水分运动，并用PET证实了其储水功能的维持。在根的情况下，根附近、距根1 mm范围内的水分运动反映了根的活力。当钒被埋入土壤中时，虽然从生长上看没有明显的变化，但根系活力受到了严重的破坏。由于还没有关于根部附近水分运动的数据，因此可以讨论根部的吸水模型。我们还模拟了土壤中水分运动对植物活动和生长的影响。为了利用中子束获得CT图像，我们以一朵露营花为例。为了建立该装置，我们研究了中子荧光转换器的特性和图像处理软件，特别是如何消除经常出现在CCD相机上的白点。我们把样品旋转到180度，每旋转一度，我们就得到了水的图像。通过对CT图像的重建和叠加，得到了露天花内部水分的三维图像。我们现在正在构建根部周围的水图像。较少

Analysis of biological activity in intact cells or tissues is essential to understand information processing in plant. Techniques for these in vivo measuremerts have not been well developed, espeicially for roots. We studied a nondestructive method to image water in living plants to know information processing in plant using a neutron beam, as well as positron emitting nuclides to perform PET (Positron Emission Tomography. Neutron beam technique provided the highest resolution for water intissue yet ob tainable. With high specificity to water this neutonbeam technique images water movement in seeds or in roots imbedded in soil, as well as in wood and meristems during development. The resolution of the image attainable now is about 15 um.First, we studied how this new technique allow new investigations in the field of plant research. Next, we focused on the identification of water storing function of cowpea and soybean root activity imbedded in soil. Then finally, we tried to get water … More CT image of livingplant. In the case of cowpea, which is a very important crop at dryarea in Asia and Africa, we found the stem between the first leaf and the first trifoliatestored the water and when drytreatment was perfomed this water was supplied to the other plant tissue to support the activity of the plant. Water movement in this stem was studied by neutronbeam and the maintenance of the water storage function was confirmed by PET.In the case of root, water movoment near the root, within lmmapart from the root was found to reflect the rootactivity. When vanadium was imbedded in soil, though from the growth no observablechange was shoen, the root activity was severely damaged. Since there has been no data about water movement in the vicinity of the root, we could discuss about the water absorbing model of the root. We also simulated the plant activity and growth from water movement in the soil.To get CT image using neutron beam, we used a camation flower as an example. To set up the devise, we investigated the characteristics of neutron fluorescence converter and image processing software, espeically how to eliminate the white spots which always appear through CCD camera. We rotated the sample until 180 degree and every ldegree, we got water image. Through construsting the CT images and piled up them, three dimensional image of water in camation flower was able to get. We are now constructing the water image around the root. Less