AUSTRALIA—GERMANY WORKSHOP ON BIODIVERSITY
The Shine Dome, 13-17 March 2006
Imaging and identification of root flavonoids
by Dr Ulrike Mathesius, ARC Research Fellow, School of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Australian National University
Flavonoids are ubiquitous secondary components of all plants. They serve many functions, ranging from antioxidants, pigments and UV protectants, to auxin transport inhibitors, enzyme regulators and signals in the rhizosphere. Flavonoids are easily detectable by fluorescence and confocal microscopy. Different flavonoids accumulate in particular cell types and organelles, and this distribution is most likely linked to their function in those cells. Flavonoids can be identified in situ using either fresh sections or freeze substitution by measuring fluorescence emission spectra in single cells. These techniques have helped us in characterising the function of flavonoids during the development of nodules and lateral roots.
