Analysis of Plant Autophagy

Methods Mol Biol. 2017:1662:267-280. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7262-3_24.

Abstract

Autophagy is an intercellular degradation/recycling system by which cytoplasmic components are sequestered in autophagic vesicles (autophagosomes) and delivered to the vacuole for breakdown. During the last decade, plant studies have revealed that autophagy is employed as a major route to recycle nutrients needed for plant growth and development, and to combat with a wide range of biotic and abiotic stresses. Another important outcome of these studies was the development and optimization of methods and techniques for monitoring autophagy activity in plants. In this chapter, methods frequently used in plant autophagy study, from physiological to biochemical and microscopical analyses, are discussed.

Keywords: ATG8 delipidation; ATG8 lipidation; Autophagy; GFP-ATG8 degradation; MDC staining; Microscopy analysis; Nutrient starvation; Senescence.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Arabidopsis / metabolism
  • Arabidopsis / ultrastructure*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism
  • Autophagy / genetics*
  • Autophagy-Related Protein 8 Family / genetics
  • Autophagy-Related Protein 8 Family / metabolism
  • Cadaverine / analogs & derivatives
  • Cadaverine / chemistry
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cellular Senescence
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant*
  • Genes, Reporter
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Phagosomes / metabolism
  • Phagosomes / ultrastructure*
  • Phosphatidylethanolamines / chemistry
  • Plant Cells / metabolism
  • Plant Cells / ultrastructure*
  • Plant Leaves / genetics
  • Plant Leaves / metabolism
  • Plant Leaves / ultrastructure
  • Plant Roots / genetics
  • Plant Roots / metabolism
  • Plant Roots / ultrastructure
  • Plants, Genetically Modified
  • Vacuoles / metabolism
  • Vacuoles / ultrastructure*

Substances

  • ATG8 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Autophagy-Related Protein 8 Family
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Phosphatidylethanolamines
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • phosphatidylethanolamine
  • monodansylcadaverine
  • Cadaverine