NanoIndentation, an ImageJ Plugin for the Quantification of Cell Mechanics

Area of Science:

• Plant Biology
• Biophysics
• Microscopy and Imaging

Background:

• Plant growth and morphogenesis are governed by cell wall mechanics and turgor pressure.
• Understanding the relationship between cell identity and mechanical properties is crucial for plant development studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and present an image analysis protocol for associating subcellular mechanical data with specific plant cells.
• To enable the mapping of mechanical properties to individual cells and their identities.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing atomic force microscopy (AFM) for nanoindentation measurements of tissue mechanics and topography.
• Employing confocal microscopy with fluorescent reporters to identify cell types.
• Developing an image analysis protocol within Fiji/ImageJ (NanoIndentation plugin) to segment, stitch, and label AFM scans, and project confocal images onto mechanical data.

Main Results:

• The protocol successfully segments AFM scans and reconstitutes larger tissue regions.
• Cells are segmented and labeled, allowing for the association of mechanical data with specific cell identities.
• This enables comprehensive mapping of mechanical properties to individual cells within plant tissues.

Conclusions:

• The described image analysis protocol effectively integrates mechanical and cellular identity data from plant tissues.
• This approach is vital for elucidating the complex interplay between cell mechanics and plant morphogenesis.
• The NanoIndentation plugin facilitates advanced analysis of AFM data in conjunction with cell-specific information.