Light sheet fluorescence microscopy quantifies calcium oscillations in root hairs of Arabidopsis thaliana

Calcium oscillations play a role in the regulation of the development of tip-growing plant cells. Using optical microscopy, calcium oscillations have been observed in a few systems (e.g. pollen tubes, fungal hyphae, algal rhizoids). High resolution, non-phototoxic and rapid imaging methods are required to study the calcium oscillation in root hairs. We show that Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy is optimal to image growing root hairs of Arabidopsis thaliana and to follow their oscillatory tip-focused calcium gradient. We describe a protocol for performing live imaging of root hairs in seedlings expressing the cytosolic localised ratiometric calcium indicator Yellow Cameleon 3.6. Using this protocol, we measured the calcium gradient in a large number of root hairs. We characterised their calcium oscillations and correlated them with the rate of hair growth. The method was then used to screen the effect of auxin on the properties of the growing root hairs.