Hybrid vertex-midline modelling of elongated plant organs

Fozard, John A.; Bennett, Malcolm J.; King, John R.; Jensen, Oliver E.

Abstract

We describe a method for the simulation of the growth of elongated plant organs, such as seedling roots. By combining a midline representation of the organ on a tissue scale and a vertex-based representation on the cell scale, we obtain a multiscale method, which is able to both simulate organ growth and incorporate cell-scale processes. Equations for the evolution of the midline are obtained, which depend on the cell-wall properties of individual cells through appropriate averages over the vertex-based representation. The evolution of the organ midline is used to deform the cellular-scale representation. This permits the investigation of the regulation of organ growth through the cell-scale transport of the plant hormone auxin. The utility of this method is demonstrated in simulating the early stages of the response of a root to gravity, using a vertex-based template acquired from confocal imaging. Asymmetries in the concentrations of auxin between the upper and lower sides of the root lead to bending of the root midline, reflecting a gravitropic response.

Citation

Fozard, J. A., Bennett, M. J., King, J. R., & Jensen, O. E. (2016). Hybrid vertex-midline modelling of elongated plant organs. Interface Focus, 6(5), Article 20160043. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsfs.2016.0043

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 1, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Oct 6, 2016
• Publication Date: Oct 6, 2016
• Deposit Date: Oct 18, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 18, 2016
• Journal: Interface Focus
• Electronic ISSN: 2042-8901
• Publisher: The Royal Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 6
• Issue: 5
• Article Number: 20160043
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsfs.2016.0043
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/805449
• Publisher URL: http://rsfs.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/6/5/20160043