Applications of fluorescent marker proteins in plant cell biology

Over the past decade, confocal microscopy and the ever-expanding toolchest of fluorescent protein (xFP) markers and technologies have become routine methods for the biological laboratory. A common use of xFP fluorophores is in localizing proteins and the subcellular structures with which they associate, including analyzing their distribution and dynamics and the interactions of proteins in vivo. Additionally, a number of so-called optical highlighters have proven especially useful in analyzing the kinetics of these processes in pulse-chase studies of protein relocation(s) following an experimental challenge. Here we focus on exemplary methods in transformation and live-cell imaging in plant cells, with the expectation that researchers will find these and the accompanying resources useful as a starting point in developing their own expertise.