A Uniaxial Loading Device for Studying Mechanoresponses of Single Plant Cell

Liqing Zhu, Xue Fu, Jie Yan, Junyu Liu

College of Bioengineering Chongqing University, Chongqing, China.
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University of Science and Technology, Chongqing, China; College of Bioengineering Chongqing University, Chongqing, China.
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, China Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Chongqing University), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China.

DOI: 10.4236/eng.2013.510B085                

Abstract

A system which consists of a loading chamber unit, displacement sensor, data collector and processor, and a feedback control, was established for applying mechanical forces to single plant cells. The method works by compressing an agar cell-suspension block between parallel surfaces through using a force-feedback control circuit coupled to a microchip, delivering the pre-defined. The actual controlled stimulus is achieved whilst measuring the force being imposed on the cell, and its deformation. TheArabidopsisprotoplasts were utilized to test the system. It provides an experimental approach to investigate the mechanoresponses of plant cellsin vitroconditions.

Keywords

Mechanical Loading; Plant Cell; Chamber; Feedback Control

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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