Fig. 4: PeuLAC2 overexpression enhances SCW thickness in fibers and affects SCW components in the inflorescence stem of Arabidopsis.

a Cross-sections of Arabidopsis inflorescence stems in At-WT and three At-OE plants stained with 0.1% toluidine blue. V, vessel; If, interfascicular fiber cell. Bar = 20 μm. b Transmission electron micrographs (TEM) of the cell cross-sections shown in a. V, vessel; If, interfascicular fiber cell. Bar = 2 μm. c The SCW thickness was measured in the vessel cells and interfascicular fiber cells in b by ImageJ software, and at least 30 cells in each of three plants were measured. d to e SCW components analyzed in the Arabidopsis inflorescence stem. Contents of lignin, cellulose (d) and hemicellulose (e). f Tensile strength analysis of the Arabidopsis inflorescence stem. More than 20 plants in each line were measured. g Fiber cells in Arabidopsis inflorescence stems were disaggregated and stained with safranin T. Bar = 1 mm. h Statistical analysis of the fiber cell length in g; at least 500 fiber cells were measured in each plant genotype. Three independent experiments were performed. Statistical analysis was performed with Student’s t-test (*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01); data are provided as means ± SDs