GLO-Roots: an imaging platform enabling multidimensional characterization of soil-grown root systems.
Root systems develop different root types that individually sense cues from their local environment and integrate this information with systemic signals. This complex multi-dimensional amalgam of inputs enables continuous adjustment of root growth rates, direction, and metabolic activity that define a dynamic physical network. Current methods for analyzing root biology balance physiological relevance with imaging capability. To bridge this divide, we developed an integrated-imaging system called Growth and Luminescence Observatory for Roots (GLO-Roots) that uses luminescence-based reporters to enable studies of root architecture and gene expression patterns in soil-grown, light-shielded roots. We have developed image analysis algorithms that allow the spatial integration of soil properties, gene expression, and root system architecture traits. We propose GLO-Roots as a system that has great utility in presenting environmental stimuli to roots in ways that evoke natural adaptive responses and in providing tools for studying the multi-dimensional nature of such processes.
Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, United States.
Rubén
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6843-3716
R
Rellán-Álvarez
PhytoSystems, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Guillaume
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5883-4572
G
Lobet
Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, United States.
Heike
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5913-9803
H
Lindner
Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, United States.
Pierre-Luc
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2426-0742
PL
Pradier
Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, United States.
Jose
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1826-0308
J
Sebastian
Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, United States.
Muh-Ching
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0445-7927
MC
Yee
Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, United States.
Yu
Y
Geng
Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, United States.
Charlotte
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2235-4390
C
Trontin
Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States.
Therese
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6805-5118
T
LaRue
Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, United States.
Amanda
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2435-9336
A
Schrager-Lavelle
Department of Genetics, Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.
Cara H
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6099-6677
CH
Haney
Western Regional Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Albany, United States.
Rita
R
Nieu
Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, United States.
Julin
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9623-2599
J
Maloof
Department of Energy, Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, United States.
John P
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1786-2689
JP
Vogel
Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, United States.
José R
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3998-724X
JR
Dinneny
D017930:Genes, Reporter; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D049449:Luminescence; D061848:Optical Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000254:growth & development*; D012987:Soil
D012987:Soil
Brachypodium distachyon; Lycopersicon esculentum; arabidopsis; imaging systems; plant biology