A Novel Imaging Protocol for Investigating Arabidopsis thaliana Siliques and Seeds Using X-rays.

Abstract

Understanding silique and seed morphology is essential to developmental biology. Arabidopsis thaliana is one of the best-studied plant models for understanding the genetic determinants of seed count and size. However, the small size of its seeds, and their encasement in a pod known as silique, makes investigating their numbers and morphology both time consuming and tedious. Researchers often report bulk seed weights as an indicator of average seed size, but this overlooks individual seed details. Removal of the seeds and subsequent image analysis is possible, but automated counts are often impossible due to seed pigmentation and shadowing. Traditional ways of analyzing seed count and size, without their removal from the silique, involve lengthy histological processing (24-48 h) and the use of toxic organic solvents. We developed a method that is non-invasive, requires minimal sample processing, and obtains data in a short period of time (1-2 h). This method uses a custom X-ray imaging system to visualize Arabidopsis siliques at different stages of their growth. We show that this process can be successfully used to analyze the overall topology of Arabidopsis siliques and seed size and count. This new method can be easily adapted for other plant models. Key features • No requirement for organic solvents for imaging siliques. • Easy image capture and rapid turnaround time for obtaining data. • Protocol may be easily adapted for other plant models.

Plant phenotyping relevance

アラビドプシスの莢をX線で撮像し、種子のサイズ・数および莢の形態を非侵襲的に測定する新規画像法の開発であり、フェノタイピング手法が研究の中心である。

Code and data availability

This is a Bio-protocol methods article describing a custom X-ray imaging protocol for Arabidopsis siliques/seeds. The text mentions software tools (VetView Console, DaVinci Resolve, FIJI ImageJ, GraphPad Prism) but only as generic third-party programs with no author-deposited code, scripts, workflows, public phenotype/

No evidence-backed public reproduction asset is currently recorded.