Live-imaging and image processing of shoot apical meristems of Arabidopsis thaliana

The shoot apical meristem (SAM) of higher plants represents a dynamic network of different cell types which exhibit distinct patterns of gene expression and cellular behaviors. The regulation of distinct patterns of gene expression and cellular behaviors is mediated by cell-cell communication networks. Live-imaging of spatiotemporal dynamics of cell-cell communication networks, gene expression patterns, and cellular behaviors is critical to deduce principles that underlie SAM growth and maintenance. In this chapter, we describe live-imaging methods, fluorescent reagents, and image processing protocols that have been developed to visualize the regulatory dynamics of SAM growth in Arabidopsis thaliana.