Methods to Visualize the Actin Cytoskeleton During Plant Cell Division

Abstract

Mitosis in plants consists of separating the mother cell in two daughter cells by the centrifugal growth of a new wall. This process involves the reorganization of the structural elements of the cell, namely the microtubules and actin cytoskeleton which allow the coordination, the orientation and the progression of mitosis. In addition to its implication in those plant-specific structures, the actin cytoskeleton, in close association with the plasma membrane, abbors specific patterning at the cortex of the dividing cells, and might act as a signalling component. This review proposes an overview of the techniques available to visualize the actin cytoskeleton in fixed tissues or living cells during division, including electron, fluorescent and super resolution microscopy techniques.

Exploring the Role of the Plant Actin Cytoskeleton: From Signaling to Cellular Functions

“…Genetic or physical interactions between actin and different ABPs can be placed into various signaling networks that participate in specific plant morphogenetic pathways that are supervised by the actin cytoskeleton. A combination of approaches has been used to predict the impact of ABPs on actin dynamics so that a deeper understanding of actin-mediated functions in plants can be achieved [15]. Beyond that, an increasing number of ABPs and microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) have been identified as indispensable elements for sensing environmental signals and for the coordinated regulation of cytoskeleton reorganization [16][17][18][19].…”

“…The ability to fluorescently label proteins has allowed the increasingly accurate examination of the dynamic distribution of the actin cytoskeleton in living plants [15,255]. Meanwhile, advanced fluorescence microscopy has provided super-resolution approaches that have improved the spatial and temporal resolution of plant cell dynamics [256,257].…”