[Application of laser capture microdissection in plant genomic research]

To a large degree, the growth and development of plants depend on the organ and/or cell type-specific expression of genes. However, it can be difficult to obtain sufficient number of specific cells from any developmental stage to analyze expression of genes. Laser capture microdissection (LCM) is a novel technique that allows us to collect pure targeted cell subgroup or even a single cell quickly and precisely, thus the problem of tissue heterogeneity in molecular analysis can be resolved successfully. In this paper, the principles of LCM were introduced and the application of LCM in plant was summarized in gene expression analysis, proteomics and plant-microbe interaction. Meanwhile, possible directions of LCM in plant were put forward.