Orchid fruit and root movement analyzed using 2D photographs and a bioinformatics pipeline for processing sequential 3D scans.

Premise: Most studies of the movement of orchid fruits and roots during plant development have focused on morphological observations; however, further genetic analysis is required to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. A precise tool is required to observe these movements and harvest tissue at the correct position and time for transcriptomics research.

Methods: We utilized three-dimensional (3D) micro-computed tomography (CT) scans to capture the movement of fast-growing roots, and built an integrated bioinformatics pipeline to process 3D images into 3D time-lapse videos.

Evolution and development of fruits of Erycina pusilla and other orchid species.

Fruits play a crucial role in seed dispersal. They open along dehiscence zones. Fruit dehiscence zone formation has been intensively studied in Arabidopsis thaliana.