Plant Cytomics: Novel Methods to View Molecules on the Move

We provide our definition and the brief history of “cytomics” followed by an overview of general methodological approaches of optical imaging, especially fluorescence microscopy. We then go into detail on novel fluor-linking agents (nanobodies, aptamers, and aldehydes) and the array of novel fluors available. We describe many of the new techniques developed for superfast, super-resolution microscopy (photoreactivated localization microscopy, structured illumination microscopy, stimulated emission depletion microscopy, and stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy) followed by quantitative microscopy and image analysis. We then delve into unconventional methods, novel light systems, and alternatives to fluorescence (non-liner optical imaging, single-molecule light absorption, luminescent proteins). We then describe how these systems have been employed recently for proteins, nucleic acids, the cytoskeleton, and also small molecules of major interest to plants. We finish with a description of recent findings specific to plant cytomics and furnish several impressive images and other illustrations from the recent plant literature.