title: Analysis of fluid-phase endocytosis in (intact) plant cells.
abstract: Endocytosis is a continuous process at the plasma membrane at least of all eukaryotic cells. Regardless of the molecular machinery, which drives the formation and uptake of endocytic vesicles, it is reasonable to assume that this process inevitably collects external fluid. Hence, at least for the majority of apoplastic solutes, the endocytosis of the fluid phase is likely to be an inevitable process. Due to its independence from the molecular machinery and low selectivity with respect to the cargo, it is thus perfectly suited to be used as a tracer to follow the activity of all endocytic events. Here we describe simple protocols based on fluorescence microscopy, which yield quantitative information about endocytic vesicle sizes-with sub-diffraction accuracy-as well as the size exclusion limits for these uptake routes.
authors.affiliation: Plant Cell Biology, Department of Biology, INM-Leibniz-Institute for New Materials, Campus D2 2, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany, Vera.Bandmann@inm-gmbh.de.
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bandmann
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Haub
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Meckel
mesh_terms: D002966:Clathrin / Q000378:metabolism; D004705:Endocytosis; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008967:Molecular Biology / Q000379:methods*; D059828:Plant Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D022161:Transport Vesicles / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D002966:Clathrin