Size, shape and surface morphology of starch granules from Norway spruce needles revealed by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy: effects of elevated CO2 concentration

Published Date Received January 22, 2008.
Accepted May 20, 2008.

Author

Jana Cabálková¹,², 

Jan Přibyl³, 

Petr Skládal³, 

Pavel Kulich⁴ and 

Josef Chmelík¹

+Author Affiliations

1. ¹Institute of Analytical Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v. v. i., Department of Proteomics and Glycomics Veveří 97, Brno, CZ-602 00, Czech Republic
2. ³National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University Kotlářská 2, Brno, CZ-611 37, Czech Republic
3. ⁴Veterinary Research Institute v. v. i. Hudcova 70, Brno, CZ-621 00, Czech Republic

1. 2Corresponding author (cabalkova@iach.cz)

Summary

We compared the effects of ambient (350 ppm) and elevated CO₂concentration (700 ppm) on the size and shape of starch granules in Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) needles during one growing season. Starch granules were isolated from needles by alkaline digestion and analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Measurements made with a particle size analyzer indicated that starch granules ranged between 0.5 and 10 μm. Granule size and shape varied according to needle developmental stage and CO₂ concentration. Generally, elevated CO₂ concentration increased the size of the starch granules. Fine surface structures (< 10 nm in size) studied by AFM were characterized by the presence of protrusions, furrows and pores.


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