Development and application of probes for labeling the actin cytoskeleton in living plant cells.

The actin cytoskeleton is one of the most important components of eukaryotic cytoskeletons. It participates in numerous crucial procedures of cells and has been studied by using various methods. The development and application of appropriate probes for actin visualization is the first and foremost step for functional analysis of actin in vivo. Since the actin cytoskeleton is a highly dynamic and sensitive structure, methods previously used to visualize actin often harm cells and cannot reveal the native state of the actin cytoskeleton in living cells. The development of labeling technologies for living plant cells, especially the emergence and application of green fluorescent protein-tagged actin markers, has provided new insights into the structure and function of the actin cytoskeleton in vivo. There has been a number of probes for actin labeling in living plant cells though they each present different advantages and defects. In this review, we discuss and compare those widely used methods for actin visualization and analysis.