Proliferation of axial parenchymatic xylem cells is a key step in wound closure of girdled stems in Pinus canariensis

Abstract

Background: Wounds caused by fire, herbivorism, rock impacts, etc. cause the direct loss of photosynthetic, storage and/or vascular tissue. In addition, they may entail other damages, such as desiccation of the exposed internal parts, or become a gateway to infection by fungi and other pathogens. To successfully overcome such injuries, plants must reorganize their meristems or even differentiate new ones, producing new traumatic tissues to cover the wound and restore the vascular connection. Results: In this work we analyse the anatomical growth response in conifers after debarking and injuring the vascular cambium, using Pinus canariensis as model species, due to its high wound recovery ability. Conversely to angiosperm woody species, this process is initiated and largely driven by the damaged vascular cambium and not by proliferation in the wound surface. We have detected alterations and switches in the divisions of cambial cells, associated to their position relative to the surface and edges of the wound, resulting in disordered traumatic xylem. We also describe the formation of column-like structures, after girdling, which are in part formed by the proliferation of xylem parenchymatous cells, associated to axial resin ducts. Conclusions: Abundant resinosis on the wound surface, typical of conifers, is an efficient barrier against opportunistic fungi, insects, etc. but it also hinders the healing process directly from the surface. Thus, wound closure must be largely carried out from the wound margins, being a much slower process, which very often remains unconcluded for long years. This work also describes for the first time the proliferation of inner parenchymatous cells to form column-like structures, which accelerates wound closure in girdled P. canariensis. Irregularities in the surface of the healing edge or column-like structures result in the production of disordered vascular tissues, compromising their future functionality, and which must be overcome through the fast restoration of the proper polarity in vascular cambium.