BACKGROUND: When a plant is wounded, a rapid hydraulic surge, acting probably as a systemic signal, spreads from the site of injury throughout the plant and leads to small transient deformation of tissues. So far, the propagation of hydraulic surge has been monitored by contact and thus potentially invasive methods. RESULTS: Here we present a non-invasive optical method, which allows simultaneous monitoring of micrometric shift of two opposite stem margins. The usefulness of this method was demonstrated by the measurement of the hydraulic surge propagation in a tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum (L.) cv. Samsun) after burning of its upper leaf. We have observed transient narrowing the stem below the burned leaf, which started within a few minutes after local burning. The comparison of the shift of the stem margin following vascular trace of the burned leaf and the margin on the opposite side of the stem has revealed that the stem deformation is highly asymmetric. CONCLUSIONS: This optical method represents a novel tool to investigate the mechanism of systemic response of plants to local damage. Our results points out the complexity of the relationship between hydraulic surge propagation and stem deformation.

Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research Department of Biophysics Faculty of Science Palacký University Šlechtitelů 27 783 71 Olomouc Czech Republic

Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences Joint Laboratory of Optics of Palacky University and Institute of Physics AS CR 17 listopadu 50a 772 07 Olomouc Czech Republic

Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials Joint Laboratory of Optics of Palacký University and Institute of Physics AS CR Faculty of Science Palacký University 17 listopadu 12 771 46 Olomouc Czech Republic

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