Live-cell imaging of microtubules and microtubule-associated proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Microtubules and microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) play fundamental roles in plant growth and morphogenesis. The ability to observe microtubules and MAPs in living cells using fluorescent protein fusions has propelled plant scientists forward and given them the opportunity to answer longstanding biological questions. In combination with the genetic resources available in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, our mechanistic understanding of how the microtubule cytoskeleton affects plant life has dramatically increased. It is a simple process to construct transgenic A. thaliana plants that express fluorescent protein fusions by using the disarmed plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Several screening steps are necessary to ensure that the fusion protein accurately mimics the native protein because transgenes are inserted randomly into the A. thaliana genome. To image the fluorescent proteins in planta, confocal microscopy is used to alleviate issues caused by specimen thickness and autofluorescence.