Advances in Plant Ecophysiology Techniques

This handbook covers the most commonly used techniques for measuring plant response to biotic and abiotic stressing factors, including: in vitro and in vivo bioassays; the study of root morphology, photosynthesis (pigment content, net photosynthesis, respiration, fluorescence and thermoluminiscence) and water status; thermal imaging; the measurement of oxidative stress markers; flow cytometry for measuring cell cycle and other physiological parameters; the use of microscope techniques for studying plant microtubules; programmed-cell-death; last-generation techniques (metabolomics, proteomics, SAR/QSAR); hybridization methods; isotope techniques for plant and soil studies; and the measurement of detoxification pathways, volatiles, soil microorganisms, and computational biology.

Offers a unique, practical view on the most interesting parameters to study plant response to biotic/abiotic factors Describes step-by-step laboratory-tested procedures for measuring ecophysiological parameters Provides morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular background information necessary for the methods used in the practical study of plant status

Autorentext

Inhalt
Preface.- 1. In vitro and in vivo bioassays.- 2. Root morphology.- 3. Plant photosynthetic pigments: Methods and tricks for correct quantification and identification.- 4. Measuring photosynthesis and respiration with infrared gas analysers.- 5. Chlorophyll fluorescence: a practical approach to study ecophysiology of green plants.- 6. Thermoluminescence: a tool to study ecophysiology of green plants.- 7. Determining plant water relations.- 8. Thermal imaging and infrared sensing in plant ecophysiology.- 9. Photoprotection and photo-oxidative stress markers as useful tools to unravel plant invasion success.- 10. Reactive oxygen species and antioxidant enzymatic systems in plants: role and methods.- 11. Flow cytometric measurement of different physiological parameters.- 12. Flow cytometry: cell cycle.- 13. Mitotic index.- 14. Fluorescent probes and live imaging of plant cells.- 15. Confocal and transmission electron microscopy for plant studies.- 16. Plant programmed cell death (PCD): using cell morphology as a tool to investigate plant PCD.- 17. Visualization of plant microtubules.- 18. Multiprobe in-situ hybridization to whole mount Arabidopsis seedlings.- 19. Proteomics analysis of plant tissues based on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.- 20. Metabolomics and metabolic profiling investigation of dynamic plant-environment interactions at the functional level.- 21. SAR / QSAR.- 22. Elucidating the phytotoxic potential of natural compounds.- 23. Exploring plants strategies for allelochemical detoxification.- 24. Chemical characterization of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) through headspace solid phase micro extraction (SPME).- 25. Carbon radiochemicals (14C) and stable isotopes (13C): crucial tools to study plant-soil interactions in ecosystems.- 26. Stable-isotope techniques to investigate sources of plant water.- 27. Soil microorganisms.- 28. Computational approach to study ecophysiology.