JoVE Logo

Sign In

A subscription to JoVE is required to view this content. Sign in or start your free trial.

Abstract

Developmental Biology

Atomic Force Microscopy to Study the Physical Properties of Epidermal Cells of Live Arabidopsis Roots

Published: March 31st, 2022

DOI:

10.3791/63533

1Laboratorio de Bioquímica, Departamento de Biología Vegetal, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de la República (UdelaR), 2Laboratorio de Señalización Celular y Nanobiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE)

* These authors contributed equally

Abstract

A method is described here to characterize the physical properties of the cell wall of epidermal cells of living Arabidopsis roots through nanoindentations with an atomic force microscope (AFM) coupled with an optical inverted fluorescence microscope. The method consists of applying controlled forces to the sample while measuring its deformation, allowing quantifying parameters such as the apparent Young's modulus of cell walls at subcellular resolutions. It requires a careful mechanical immobilization of the sample and correct selection of indenters and indentation depths. Although it can be used only in external tissues, this method allows characterizing mechanical changes in plant cell walls during development and enables the correlation of these microscopic changes with the growth of an entire organ.

Explore More Videos

Keywords Atomic Force Microscopy

This article has been published

Video Coming Soon

JoVE Logo

Privacy

Terms of Use

Policies

Research

Education

ABOUT JoVE

Copyright © 2024 MyJoVE Corporation. All rights reserved