Realizing the Full Potential of Advanced Microscopy Approaches for Interrogating Plant-Microbe Interactions

Abstract

Microscopy has served as a fundamental tool for insight and discovery in plant-microbe interactions for centuries. From classical light and electron microscopy to corresponding specialized methods for sample preparation and cellular contrasting agents, these approaches have become routine components in the toolkit of plant and microbiology scientists alike to visualize, probe and understand the nature of host-microbe relationships. Over the last three decades, three-dimensional perspectives led by the development of electron tomography, and especially, confocal techniques continue to provide remarkable clarity and spatial detail of tissue and cellular phenomena. Confocal and electron microscopy provide novel revelations that are now commonplace in medium and large institutions. However, many other cutting-edge technologies and sample preparation workflows are relatively unexploited yet offer tremendous potential for unprecedented advancement in our understanding of the inner workings of pathogenic, beneficial, and symbiotic plant-microbe interactions. Here, we highlight key applications, benefits, and challenges of contemporary advanced imaging platforms for plant-microbe systems with special emphasis on several recently developed approaches, such as light-sheet, single molecule, super-resolution, and adaptive optics microscopy, as well as ambient and cryo-volume electron microscopy, X-ray microscopy, and cryo-electron tomography. Furthermore, the potential for complementary sample preparation methodologies, such as optical clearing, expansion microscopy, and multiplex imaging, will be reviewed. Our ultimate goal is to stimulate awareness of these powerful cutting-edge technologies and facilitate their appropriate application and adoption to solve important and unresolved biological questions in the field. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license .

Label-free structural imaging of plant roots and microbes using third-harmonic generation microscopy

“…In addition to imaging plant roots themselves, the ability to simultaneously image microbes in the rhizosphere, the region in the vicinity of the roots where the microbiome interacts with the plant, would help understand the complex mechanisms through which root-microbe interactions impact plant growth 50,51 . We found that THG can be combined with 3P fluorescence to simultaneously image plant roots and bacteria as well as fungi in the rhizosphere in situ .…”

Ultrastructural changes of mesophyll cells in peach leaves infected by <i>Taphrina deformans</i> (Berk/Tul)

“…Electron microscopy has become a routine method to visualize, elucidate, and probe the nature of host-pathogen relationships (Czymmek et al, 2023;Łotocka et al, 2023). Changes occurring in the dynamic plant-pathogen system suggested altered cellular functions due to biotic stress (Park, 2006).…”