title: Stereological estimation of cell wall density of DR12 tomato mutant using three-dimensional confocal imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The cellular structure of fleshy fruits is of interest to study fruit shape, size, mechanical behaviour or sensory texture. The cellular structure is usually not observed in the whole fruit but, instead, in a sample of limited size and volume. It is therefore difficult to extend measurements to the whole fruit and/or to a specific genotype, or to describe the cellular structure heterogeneity within the fruit.
  
  
  METHODS
  An integrated method is presented to describe the cellular structure of the whole fruit from partial three-dimensional (3D) observations, involving the following steps: (1) fruit sampling, (2) 3D image acquisition and processing and (3) measurement and estimation of relevant 3D morphological parameters. This method was applied to characterize DR12 mutant and wild-type tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cellular structure was described using the total volume of the pericarp, the surface area of the cell walls and the ratio of cell-wall surface area to pericarp volume, referred to as the cell-wall surface density. The heterogeneity of cellular structure within the fruit was investigated by estimating variations in the cell-wall surface density with distance to the epidermis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The DR12 mutant presents a greater pericarp volume and an increase of cell-wall surface density under the epidermis.
authors: INRA UMR782 Food Process Engineering and Microbiology, F-78850 Thiverval-Grignon, France. david.legland@grignon.inra.fr
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Legland
authors: Fabienne
authors: F
authors: Guillon
authors: Kiên
authors: K
authors: Kiêu
authors: Brigitte
authors: B
authors: Bouchet
authors: Marie-Françoise
authors: MF
authors: Devaux
mesh_terms: D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism*; D005638:Fruit / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008954:Models, Biological; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics