Direct imaging of element distribution of plant tissue using secondary ion mass spectrometry techniques

Abstract

Plants use inorganic minerals for nutrition from soil. To understand inorganic minerals transport pathway is very important for not only plant science but also food crisis. To identify locate and quantify elemental distribution in plant cells, which required high resolution and high sensitive method. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is an analytical technique, which is a variety of fields spanning from the material science over biology to geochemistry, cosmochemistry and plant science. A new-generation SIMS instrument, Isotope Microscope System (IMS), has unique characteristics for the 3D visualization of microscopic regions of materials through high-precision imaging of elemental isotopes. IMS allows visualization of stable isotopes at ultra-high sensitivity and highresolution, and now is useful also for biological applications. SIMS is required high vacuum therefore live cells cannot be analyzed. Thus it is important to sample preparation which cells must be preserved as close as possible to their native state. This review focuses on element detection equipment about X-ray method, ICP-MS, SIMS and explained about most suitable sample preparation of plant material for SIMS analysis. SIMS equipment allowed subcellular element distribution in plant cells. I conclude that IMS and NanoSIMS are powerful tools for visualization of plant nutrient dynamics in subcellular level.