Quantitative Live Confocal Imaging in Aquilegia Floral Meristems.

Abstract

In this study, we present a detailed protocol for live imaging and quantitative analysis of floral meristem development in Aquilegia coerulea , a member of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). Using confocal microscopy and the image analysis software MorphoGraphX, we were able to examine the cellular growth dynamics during floral organ primordia initiation, and the transition from floral meristem proliferation to termination. This protocol provides a powerful tool to study the development of the meristem and floral organ primordia, and should be easily adaptable to many plant lineages, including other emerging model systems. It will allow researchers to explore questions outside the scope of common model systems.

Plant phenotyping relevance

植物の花序メリステムを対象に、共焦点ライブイメージングと画像解析による細胞成長動態・器官原基形成の定量プロトコルを提示しており、表現型取得法が中心である。

Code and data availability

The protocol shares two original .czi confocal image files from the authors' own Aquilegia floral meristem study via a public Google Drive link, used to reproduce the paper's MorphoGraphX phenotyping analysis. Generic software links (Fiji/ImageJ, MorphoGraphX) are excluded as non-paper-specific.