Ultrasound-driven mechanophore activation in living plants
Junxi Yi1,2, Fangbai Xie1,3, Jennifer Q Moller4,5
1Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801.
Summary
Researchers developed a biocompatible ultrasound platform to activate mechanochemical reactions in plants. Using gas vesicles and focused ultrasound, they achieved localized, noninvasive activation of nanoparticles for potential applications in plant systems.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Plant Science
- Materials Science
Background:
- Developing noninvasive methods for controlling biological processes in plants is crucial.
- Mechanochemical reactions offer a pathway for targeted molecular control within living tissues.
- Existing ultrasound techniques often lack biocompatibility or precise spatial control in plant systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer an ultrasound-responsive platform for remote activation of mechanochemical reactions in live plant tissues.
- To investigate the synergistic effects of gas vesicles and focused ultrasound for activating mechanophore-embedded nanoparticles.
- To demonstrate a biocompatible and noninvasive method for triggering molecular events in plants.
Main Methods:
- Engineered fluorogenic mechanophore-embedded silica nanoparticles (FMNPs) for blue fluorescence emission upon mechanical activation.
- Utilized high-frequency focused ultrasound (FUS, 550 kHz) in combination with gas vesicles (GVs) as a cavitation amplifier.
- Administered FMNPs via injection into tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) leaf vasculature.
- Performed in planta fluorescence imaging to assess FMNP activation and tissue integrity.
Main Results:
- High-frequency FUS alone was biocompatible but insufficient for FMNP activation.
- Low-frequency ultrasound induced activation but caused significant tissue damage.
- The combination of GVs and FUS enabled efficient, localized FMNP activation with minimal tissue disruption.
- In planta imaging confirmed successful, statistically significant mechanochemical activation via fluorescence increase.
Conclusions:
- A biocompatible, ultrasound-responsive platform for noninvasive mechanochemical activation in live plants was successfully demonstrated.
- The synergistic use of gas vesicles and focused ultrasound provides a highly efficient and localized activation method.
- This strategy holds promise for applications such as programmable chemical release, biosensing, and synthetic molecular control in plant systems.
Related Concept Videos
02:26Responses to Gravity and Touch
42.2K
Gravitropism: Plant Responses to Gravity
42.2K
01:25Cell Signaling in Plants
6.9K
Plant cells communicate to coordinate their cycle of growth, flowering and fruiting, and activities in roots, shoots, and leaves in response to the changing environmental conditions. Plant signaling is distinct from animal signaling. Plants primarily utilize enzyme-linked receptors, whereas the largest class of cell-surface receptors in animals are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Unlike animals, receptor tyrosine kinases are rare in plants. Instead, plants have a diverse class of...
6.9K