Plastid role in phytomelanin synthesis in Piptocarpha axillaris (Less.) Baker stems (Asteraceae, Vernonieae)

Phytomelanin is a brown to black pigment found in plant tissues, mainly in Asparagales and Asteraceae species. However, few studies deal with the processes of its synthesis, and there are still many questions to be answered regarding the organelles involved in this process and their functions, especially in vegetative organs. In a previous study with stems and leaves of 77 Vernonieae (Asteraceae) species, phytomelanin was demonstrated to always be associated with sclereids, which suggests the involvement of these cells in the pigment synthesis. Thus, we selected another species of tribe Vernonieae, Piptocarpha axillaris (Less.) Baker, which produces abundant phytomelanin secretion in stem tissues, to investigate which cells and organelles are involved in the synthesis and release of this pigment, as well as its distribution in the tissues. To achieve this goal, stems in different developmental phases were analyzed under light and transmission electron microscopy. Anatomical analysis showed that the polymerization of phytomelanin in P. axillaris starts at the second stem node, in the pith region, and occurs simultaneously with sclereid differentiation. The plastids of cells that will differentiate into sclereids actively participate in the phenolic material synthesis, following the “tannosome” and the “pearl necklace” models, giving rise to the main precursor of phytomelanin, which is then polymerized in the intercellular spaces during the sclerification process of sclereids. In stems with an established secondary structure, the pigment can be observed more frequently in the cortex, pericycle, primary phloem, secondary phloem, and pith.