Imaging of Cortical Microtubules in Plants Under Salt Stress

Abstract

The microtubule (MT) network is a highly dynamic subcellular structure playing an important role in the growth and development of plants, and it is able to respond to biotic and abiotic environmental signals. Recent literature shows that microtubules play a key role in the tolerance of plants to salt stress. For example, salt stress induces microtubules to undergo a process of depolymerization-repolymerization, which is necessary for Arabidopsis seedlings to survive under these conditions. However, the potential cellular and molecular mechanisms still need to be further studied. Here, we describe the protocol for salt treatment of Arabidopsis seedlings and imaging the MT array by confocal laser scanning microscopy. We also introduce the AnalyzeSkeleton (2D/3D) plugin for quantitative analysis of the microtubule array after salt stress. The application of such an image processing method can rapidly develop an appreciation of the role of microtubules in the salt stress response of plants.

Keywords: Arabidopsis thaliana; Microtubule; Salt stress; Skeleton.