Toward a better understanding of angiosperm xylogenesis: a new method for a cellular approach

Abstract

Summary The kinetics of wood formation in angiosperms are largely unknown because their complex xylem anatomy precludes using the radial position of vessels and fibers to infer their time of differentiation. We analyzed xylogenesis in ring‐porous ash (Fraxinus angustifolia) and diffuse‐porous beech (Fagus sylvatica) over 1 yr and proposed a novel procedure to assess the period of vessel and fiber enlargement using a referential radial file (RRF). Our approach captured the dynamics of wood formation and provided a robust estimation of the kinetics of vessel and fiber enlargement. In beech, fibers and vessels had a similar duration of enlargement, decreasing from 14 to 5 d between April and July. In ash, wide vessels formed in April enlarged at a rate of 27 × 103 μm2 d−1, requiring half the time of contemporary fibers (6 vs 12 d), and less time than the narrower vessels (14 d) formed in May. These findings reveal distinct cell‐type‐dependent mechanisms for differentiation in diffuse‐porous and ring‐porous trees, enhancing our understanding of angiosperm wood cell kinetics. Our approach presents an effective method for investigating angiosperm wood formation and provides a more accurate representation of vessel and fiber morphogenesis in wood formation models.