A rapid cryo-sectioning method for micro-structural observation of woody stems

Abstract [Objective] The woody stems of plants are difficult to obtain satisfactory microscopic image in both freehand and paraffin sections due to the high content of secondary vascular tissues and high degrees of lignification of cell walls. Microtome cryostat can section the tissue with a certain hardness. It will be one of the effective tools for the section of plant woody stems. [Methods] Some woody stems with uniform texture and high water content can be sectioned by cryo-sectioning without chemical fixation. For stems with hard wood and less water content, observation was performed after fixation with FAA and other fixation, OCT embedding, (-30) - (-25) ℃ sectioning, and staining with 0.1% toluidine blue staining solution. [Results] For tree or shrub stems with a diameter of less than 6 cm, cryo-sectioning method could be used to quickly obtain complete structure and clear and colorful microstructure images. [Conclusion] The microtome cryostat can be used for microstructure sectioning of woody stems combined with toluidine blue staining, which has the advantage of simplicity, efficiency, and ease of operation.