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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 16, 2025

Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy of Plant Roots Growing on the Surface of a Gel
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Plants Utilize Suberin Biopolymers as a Vector for Transmitting Visible Light through Their Roots.

Spenser Waller1,2,3, Stacy L Wilder1, Michael J Schueller1,3

  • 1Missouri Research Reactor Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.

Polymers
|December 23, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Plants transmit light to their roots through the endodermis, a suberin-rich layer. Repolymerized suberin enhances visible light transmission, potentially impacting root growth and microbial interactions.

Keywords:
plant light conductionroot endodermissuberin biopolymers

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Area of Science:

  • Plant Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Plants possess the ability to conduct light from aboveground tissues to their root systems.
  • This light transmission may influence root development and stimulate associated microbial communities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of suberin biopolymers in light transmission within maize roots.
  • To analyze the effect of suberin depolymerization and repolymerization on light transmission properties.

Main Methods:

  • Extraction and depolymerization of suberin polymers from cork.
  • Examination of light transmission in visible and infrared regions of suberin co-monomers.
  • Catalytic repolymerization of suberin co-monomers using Bi(OTf)3 and assessment of light transmission.

Main Results:

  • Suberin co-monomers in toluene showed no enhanced visible light transmission and reduced infrared transmission.
  • Repolymerized suberin significantly increased visible light transmission by 1.3-fold compared to the solvent.
  • Repolymerized suberin reduced light transmission in the infrared region.

Conclusions:

  • Light transmission in maize roots primarily occurs within the suberin-rich endodermis.
  • Repolymerization of suberin enhances its capacity for visible light transmission, suggesting a role in plant signaling or energy transfer to roots.