Cotton fibers harvested at 18, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36 and 40 days after flowering were examined using attenuated total reflection Fourier transform-infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy. The selected harvesting points coincide with secondary cell wall (SCW) development in the fibers. Progressive but moderate intensity increases were observed for most cellulose I IRbands. However, cellulose I C-O vibrations at 1002 and 985 cm-1 showed a marked intensity increase during SCW development. In addition, spectra of deuterated cotton fibers did not demonstrate significant changes in their O-H stretching band shapes or positions during development. Taken together, our observations suggest that the highly crystalline cellulose component produced during secondary cell wall formation maintains the hydrogen bonding network observed for the primary cell wall, and that the intensity changes in the 1002 and 985 cm-1 bands arise from the non crystalline components of the secondary cell wall.

Secondary cell wall development in cotton fibers as examined with FT-IR spectroscopy

245th National Meeting (2013)

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