Visualizing plant cell biology

Abstract

Plant Cell Biology – A Practical Approach (2nd edn)Edited by Chris Hawes and Beatrice Satiat-JeunemaitreOxford University Press, 2001. £70.00 (hbk), £35.00 (pbk) (358 pages). ISBN 0 19 963866 7 (hbk); 0 19 963865 9 (pbk)Plant cell biology has definitely gone visual. The use of fluorescent proteins and dyes has revolutionized the study of cells in vivo and the past few years have seen a steady increase in the number of papers reporting ingenious applications of confocal imaging in live plant cells. Gene expression, either in transgenic plants or transiently transfected cells, combined with confocal microscopy has quickly become one of the major tools for the study of cellular events, from protein trafficking in the endomembrane system [1.xA Rab1 GTPase is required for transport between the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus for normal Golgi movement in plants. Batoko, H. et al. Plant Cell. 2000; 12: 2201–2217PubMedSee all References, 2.xRedistribution of membrane proteins between the Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum in plants is reversible and not dependent on cytoskeletal networks. Saint-Jore, C.M. et al. Plant J. 2002; 29: 661–678CrossRef | PubMed | Scopus (178)See all References, 3.xThe destination for single-pass membrane proteins is influenced markedly by the length of the hydrophobic domain. Brandizzi, F. et al. Plant Cell. 2002; 14: 1077–1092CrossRef | PubMed | Scopus (153)See all References, 4.xThe abscisic acid-related SNARE homolog NtSyr1 contributes to secretion and growth: evidence from competition with its cytosolic domain. Geelen, D. et al. Plant Cell. 2002; 14: 387–406CrossRef | PubMed | Scopus (104)See all References] to cell division [5xFunctional characterization of the KNOLLE-interacting t-SNARE AtSNAP33 and its role in plant cytokinesis. Heese, M. et al. J. Cell Biol. 2001; 155: 239–249CrossRef | PubMed | Scopus (104)See all References][5]. It is the combination of in-depth analysis of dynamic cellular structures with the aesthetically superb visual impact that makes in vivo confocal microscopy a winner.It is therefore appropriate that Plant Cell Biology – A Practical Approach, edited by two of the pioneers in the field, opens by exploring advances in in vivo imaging. The book comes seven years after its first edition and has been completely updated to include extensive sections on the basics, tools and techniques of confocal microscopy. Seven of the thirteen chapters are dedicated to the microscope: a chapter on the basics of light microscopy sets the scene, followed by a comprehensive review of the available, plant-friendly fluorescent markers and proteins.But there is more than just microscopy. As the editors correctly point out in their introduction, research in the post-genomic era increasingly calls for ways to assign a function and a location to many newly discovered proteins. With microscopy at the forefront, there will also be a renewed demand for several classic cell biology techniques that have begun to fall out of grace in recent years or are considered obsolete or ‘uncool’. The book therefore includes exhaustive chapters on transient expression methods in tobacco and Arabidopsis, metabolic labelling, cell fractionation and organelle isolation.In addition, two chapters give an introduction to the latest advances in microinjection and micromanipulation of plant cells, followed by the use of electrophysiological techniques to complement cell biological investigation. Last but not least, the volume contains chapters dealing with advances in electron microscopy, a technique that ‘we lose at our peril’, to quote the editors.The overall message of this book is that microscopy and biochemistry are equally valuable and now equally accessible to the researcher. This calls for a better integration of these approaches to produce stronger experimental evidence. The other big news is that several protocols are now based on Arabidopsis. Although this should not be surprising, the inclusion of Arabidopsis protocols in this book testifies the official – and irreversible – promotion of the geneticists’ favourite weed as major model organism for cell biology. This means that even the most refractory amongst us tobacco-addicted plant cell biologists, will now have to face the facts and stop considering Arabidopsis a difficult plant to work with.The layout of the book is clear, with highly informative illustrations: the presence of several flow-chart diagrams providing an overview of techniques, such as transient expression and immunomicroscopy, makes it ideal for PhD students and anyone who is new to the field. For ease of consultation, there is a separate index for the protocols, which are presented in highlighted boxes throughout the volume. An exhaustive set of references completes every chapter.Experienced plant cell biologists will find the book useful as a quick reference guide and will be pleased to see some of their favourite methods, with updates and tips for improvement. For anyone curious about cell biology, this book provides an excellent introduction to the major relevant techniques and works as well as a laboratory manual.