Fluorescence visualization of cellulose and pectin in the primary plant cell wall

Abstract

Plant cell walls constitute the extracellular matrix surrounding plant cells and are composed mainly of polysaccharides. The chemical makeup of the primary plant cell wall, and specifically, the abundance, localization and arrangement of the constituting polysaccharides are intimately linked with growth, morphogenesis and differentiation in plant cells. Visualization of the cell wall components is, therefore, a crucial tool in plant cell developmental studies. In this technical update, we present protocols for fluorescence visualization of cellulose and pectin in selected plant tissues and illustrate examples of some of the available labels that hold promise for live imaging of plant cell wall expansion and morphogenesis.

Keywords: Cell development; cellulose; confocal laser scanning microscopy; fluorescence microscopy; immunohistochemistry; label; live-cell imaging; pectin; polysaccharides; primary plant cell wall; stain.