title: Continuous, high-resolution biospeckle imaging reveals a discrete zone of activity at the root apex that responds to contact with obstacles.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Shining a laser onto biological material produces light speckles termed biospeckles. Patterns of biospeckle activity reflect changes in cell biochemistry, developmental processes and responses to the environment. The aim of this work was to develop methods to investigate the biospeckle activity in roots and to characterize the distribution of its intensity and response to thigmostimuli.
  
  
  METHODS
  Biospeckle activity in roots of Zea mays, and also Jatropha curcas and Citrus limonia, was imaged live and in situ using a portable laser and a digital microscope with a spatial resolution of 10 μm per pixel and the ability to capture images every 0.080 s. A procedure incorporating a Fujii algorithm, image restoration using median and Gaussian filters, image segmentation using maximum-entropy threshold methods and the extraction of features using a tracing algorithm followed by spline fitting were developed to obtain quantitative information from images of biospeckle activity. A wavelet transform algorithm was used for spectral decomposition of biospeckle activity and generalized additive models were used to attribute statistical significance to changes in patterns of biospeckle activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The intensity of biospeckle activity was greatest close to the root apex. Higher frequencies (3-6 Hz) contributed most to the total intensity of biospeckle activity. When a root encountered an obstacle, the intensity of biospeckle activity decreased abruptly throughout the root system. The response became attenuated with repeated thigmostimuli.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data suggest that at least one component of root biospeckle activity resulted from a biological process, which is located in the zone of cell division and responds to thigmostimuli. However, neither individual cell division events nor root elongation is likely to be responsible for the patterns of biospeckle activity.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Lavras, Caixa Postal 3037, Lavras, MG 37200-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Barreto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pasqual
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.forename: L X
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Dupuy
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D002957:Citrus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D031286:Jatropha / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D007834:Lasers; D008853:Microscopy; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D003313:Zea mays / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects
keywords: Biospeckle imaging; Citrus limonia; Jatropha curcas; Zea mays; image analysis; maize; model; root; thigmostimulus; touch