基于LA-ICP-MS的水稻种子多元素三维成像与空间分布规律研究

Three-Dimensional Multi-Element Imaging and Spatial Distribution Pattern Analysis of Rice Seeds by Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS)

  • 摘要: 激光剥蚀电感耦合等离子体质谱(LA-ICP-MS)是微区原位元素表征的重要技术,但现有研究多局限于二维平面分析,难以揭示元素在生物组织内部的三维分布规律。构建生物组织三维空间分布,面临连续切片噪声干扰、元素边界提取困难、有机基体与地质标样差异大导致定量偏差等多重挑战,且现有方法难以实现多元素协同表征,制约了对水稻等作物元素转运机制的深入解析。水稻种子为有机-无机复合基体,内部包含淀粉、蛋白质、脂质及植酸等多种有机组分,并伴生一些无机结构。针对这一复杂基体,本研究选取涵盖高丰度矿质元素(Ca、Si、P 等),微量元素(Zn、Cu、Li、Sr、Ba、Se)及潜在重金属(Al、Pb、Sn)共13 种目标元素,将地质领域LA-ICP-MS面扫描技术迁移至生物样品分析。研究建立了 “环氧树脂包埋–连续切片–LA-ICP-MS 面扫描–数据处理–三维重构” 的标准化流程;结合自主研发的 LIMS 2.0 软件与alphaShape算法,有效抑制噪声、提取元素边界,重点解析元素分布规律。结果表明,本研究成功构建了水稻种子 13 种目标元素的三维分布模型,识别出三类典型分布模式:Ca、Si、Cu等元素呈表层环带富集;Se呈全域均匀赋存;P呈胚乳核心块状分布。通过多元素伪彩色合成成像,实现了元素分布与谷壳、谷皮、糊粉层、胚乳、胚芽等解剖结构的精准对应,有效解决了传统二维 LA-ICP-MS成像中组织边界模糊的问题,为元素分布的解析提供了直观依据。本研究证实,该方法可精准表征元素在不同组织中的空间分布特征,为解决噪声干扰与元素边界精准提取提供了可靠的三维数据支撑,也为作物元素微区分布研究提供了新的分析思路。

     

    Abstract: Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is an essential technique for in-situ, micro-scale elemental characterization. However, most existing studies are limited to two-dimensional (2D) analysis, making it difficult to characterize the three-dimensional (3D) spatial distribution of elements in biological tissues. The 3D reconstruction of elemental distributions in biological tissues faces several key challenges, including noise interference from continuous sectioning, difficulties in elemental boundary extraction, and quantitative deviations caused by the significant differences between organic matrices and geological reference materials. Furthermore, current methods struggle to achieve simultaneous multi-element characterization, which restricts the analysis of elemental transport mechanisms in crops such as rice. Rice seeds are typical organic-inorganic composite matrices, containing a variety of organic components such as starch, proteins, lipids, and phytic acid, as well as associated inorganic structures. In this study, targeting the complex organic-inorganic composite matrix of rice seeds, we selected 13 target elements covering high-abundance mineral elements (e.g., Ca, Si, P), trace elements (Zn, Cu, Li, Sr, Ba, Se), and potential heavy metals (Al, Pb, Sn), and transferred the LA-ICP-MS mapping technique, a well-established method in geological research, to the analysis of biological samples. A standardized workflow was established, comprising epoxy resin embedding, serial sectioning, LA-ICP-MS mapping, data processing, and three-dimensional reconstruction. Integrated with the self-developed LIMS 2.0 software and the alphaShape algorithm, this workflow effectively suppressed noise, extracted elemental boundaries, and enabled focused analysis of elemental distribution patterns. The results demonstrate that a three-dimensional distribution model for all 13 target elements in rice seeds was successfully constructed, and three typical distribution patterns were identified: Ca, Si, Cu, and related elements exhibit surface-enriched ring-like accumulation; Se is uniformly distributed throughout the entire seed; and P shows irregular blocky enrichment in the endosperm core. Multi-element false-color composite imaging achieved precise spatial alignment between elemental distributions and anatomical structures including the husk, bran, aleurone layer, endosperm, and germ, effectively resolving the issue of ambiguous tissue boundary identification that commonly arises in conventional 2D LA-ICP-MS imaging. This work confirms that the proposed method enables accurate characterization of elemental spatial distributions across different seed tissues, providing reliable 3D data support for noise suppression and precise elemental boundary extraction, and offering a novel analytical approach for micro-scale elemental distribution studies in crop seeds.

     

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