Imaging for carbon translocation to a fruit of tomato with carbon-11-labeled carbon dioxide and positron emission tomography

Kawachi, Naoki; Kikuchi, Kaori*; Suzui, Nobuo; Ishii, Satomi; Fujimaki, Shu; Ishioka, Noriko; Watabe, Hiroshi*

Carbon-11-labeled carbon dioxide (CO) has a potential candidate for imaging photosynthesis and photosynthate translocation and estimating the physiological parameters in a sink-source relation ship. In order to validate the present technique, we performed positron emission tomography (PET) studies on a plant with a fruit, a "sink organ". As a result, we have successfully obtained serial 3D images of the carbon translocation to a fruit and analyzed the velocities of the carbon dynamics in the phloem. This experimental method will be useful in not only investigating plant physiology, such as the mechanism of fruit growth, but also in solving certain environmental and food problems.