Infrared microspectroscopy beamline BL06B at SSRF

The infrared microspectroscopy beamline(BL06B) is a phase Ⅱ beamline project at the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility(SSRF). The construction and optical alignment of BL06B were completed by the end of 2020. By 2021, it became accessible to users. The synchrotron radiation infrared(SRIR) source included edge radiation(ER) and bending magnet radiation(BMR). The extracted angles in the horizontal and vertical directions were 40 and 20 mrad, respectively. The photon flux, spectral resolution, and focused spot size were measured at the BL06B endstation, and the experimental results were consistent with theoretical calculations. SRIR light has a small divergence angle, high brightness, and a wide wavelength range. As a source of IR microscopy, it can easily focus on a diffraction-limited spatial resolution with a high signal-to-noise ratio(SNR). The BL06B endstation can be applied in a wide range of research fields, including materials, chemistry, biology, geophysics, and pharmacology.

Anatomical and Chemical Characteristics of a Rolling Leaf Mutant of Rice and Its Ecophysiological Properties

The anatomical and chemical characteristics of a rolling leaf mutant （rlm） of rice （Oryza sativa L.） and its ecophysiological properties in photosynthesis and apoplastic transport were investigated. Compared with the wild type （WT）, the areas of whole vascular bundles and xylem as well as the ratios of xylem area/whole vascular bundles area and xylem area/phloem area were higher in rim, whereas the area and the width of foliar bulliform cell were lower. The Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） microspectroscopy spectra of foliar cell walls differed greatly between rim and WT. The rim exhibited lower protein and polysaccharide contents of foliar cell walls. An obvious reduction of pectin content was also found in rim by biochemical measurements. Moreover, the rate of photosynthesis was depressed while the conductance of stoma and the intercellular CO2 concentration were enhanced in rim. The PTS fluorescence, which represents the ability of apoplastic transport, was 11% higher in rim than in WT. These results suggest that the changes in anatomical and chemical characteristics of foliar vascular bundles, such as the reduction of proteins, pectins, and other polysaccharides of foliar cell walls, participate in the leaf rolling mutation, and consequently lead to the reduced photosynthetic dynamics and apoplastic transport ability in the mutant.