ABSTRACT
The polymers comprising plant tissues are physically and chemically bound in complex associations, and the microbial degradation of specific chemical components is influenced by the matrix within which the component is embedded. There are a variety of advantages of the radiotracer approach to the study of the decomposition of lignocellulosic tissues over the more classical approach of following bulk weight loss and changes in concentrations of specific chemical components. The radiotracer approach is highly sensitive allowing for relatively short incubation periods and small sample sizes. The basic approach used for preparation of specifically labeled plant tissues is to "feed" a radioactive precursor of the target polymer to a living plant so that the plant can incorporate the precursor into newly synthesized polymer within the natural matrix of the plant tissue. The polysaccharide components of plant tissues have been specifically radiolabeled using glucose which is readily available from most commercial suppliers.
