Micrografting in Arabidopsis Using a Silicone Chip

Hiroki Tsutsui; Yaichi Kawakatsu; Michitaka Notaguchi

doi:10.21769/BioProtoc.4053

Micrografting in Arabidopsis Using a Silicone Chip

Bio Protoc. 2021 Jun 20;11(12):e4053. doi: 10.21769/BioProtoc.4053.

Authors

Hiroki Tsutsui¹, Yaichi Kawakatsu¹, Michitaka Notaguchi^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.
² Bioscience and Biotechnology Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.
³ Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.

Abstract

The micrografting technique in the model plant Arabidopsis has been widely used in the field of plant science. Grafting experiments have demonstrated that signal transductions are systematically regulated in many plant characteristics, including defense mechanisms and responses to surrounding environments such as soil and light conditions. Hypocotyl micrografting is a powerful tool for the analysis of signal transduction between shoots and roots; however, the requirement for a high level of skill for micrografting, during which small seedlings are microdissected and micromanipulated, has limited its use. Here, we developed a silicone-made microdevice, called a micrografting chip, to perform Arabidopsis micrografting easily and uniformly. The micrografting chip has tandemly arrayed units, each of which consists of a seed pocket for seed germination and a micro-path to hold hypocotyl. All micrografting procedures are performed on the chip. This method using a micrografting chip will avoid the need for training and promote studies of systemic signaling in plants. Graphic abstract: A silicone chip for easy grafting.

Keywords: Arabidopsis; Grafting; Long-distance signaling; Microdevice; Micrografting; Seedling; Silicone; Systemic signaling.