---
OA_type: closed access
_id: '23086'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: The division of a mother cell into two daughter cells is a fundamental process
    in biology, involving the transfer of genomic information to the next generation
    of cells. In plant roots, cell divisions occur in the root apical meristem, a
    specialized tissue located at the plant’s root tip. Cell proliferation rates in
    the root apical meristem shape root growth, thereby contributing to general development
    as well as the acclimatization to stressful environmental conditions through phenotypic
    plasticity. Here, we present a protocol for the microscopical analysis of cell
    proliferation in Arabidopsis thaliana root meristems by 5-ethynyl-2ʹ-deoxyuridine
    (EdU) staining. EdU, a thymine-analog, is incorporated into newly synthesized
    DNA of proliferative cells during the S-phase of the cell cycle. Subsequently,
    EdU-containing nuclei can be labeled with a fluorophore and detected by confocal
    laser scanning microscopy. The combination of the EdU assay with cell wall staining
    enables the quantification of root meristem architecture parameters and cell division
    activity from microscopic images. Together, this can elucidate how root meristems
    respond to changes in environmental conditions or address fundamental questions
    of developmental plant biology.
alternative_title:
- Methods in Molecular Biology
article_processing_charge: No
author:
- first_name: Tilman
  full_name: Jacob, Tilman
  last_name: Jacob
- first_name: Haiyue
  full_name: Ai, Haiyue
  id: 71a6871f-c08f-11ee-886c-c975579c368c
  last_name: Ai
- first_name: Marcel
  full_name: Quint, Marcel
  last_name: Quint
citation:
  ama: 'Jacob T, Ai H, Quint M. EdU-Based Quantitative Analysis of Cell Proliferation
    in Arabidopsis Root Meristems. In: <i>Root Development</i>. Vol 3086. MIMB. New
    York: Springer; 2026:165-176. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-5603-7_13">10.1007/978-1-0716-5603-7_13</a>'
  apa: 'Jacob, T., Ai, H., &#38; Quint, M. (2026). EdU-Based Quantitative Analysis
    of Cell Proliferation in Arabidopsis Root Meristems. In <i>Root Development</i>
    (Vol. 3086, pp. 165–176). New York: Springer. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-5603-7_13">https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-5603-7_13</a>'
  chicago: 'Jacob, Tilman, Haiyue Ai, and Marcel Quint. “EdU-Based Quantitative Analysis
    of Cell Proliferation in Arabidopsis Root Meristems.” In <i>Root Development</i>,
    3086:165–76. MIMB. New York: Springer, 2026. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-5603-7_13">https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-5603-7_13</a>.'
  ieee: 'T. Jacob, H. Ai, and M. Quint, “EdU-Based Quantitative Analysis of Cell Proliferation
    in Arabidopsis Root Meristems,” in <i>Root Development</i>, vol. 3086, New York:
    Springer, 2026, pp. 165–176.'
  ista: 'Jacob T, Ai H, Quint M. 2026.EdU-Based Quantitative Analysis of Cell Proliferation
    in Arabidopsis Root Meristems. In: Root Development. Methods in Molecular Biology,
    vol. 3086, 165–176.'
  mla: Jacob, Tilman, et al. “EdU-Based Quantitative Analysis of Cell Proliferation
    in Arabidopsis Root Meristems.” <i>Root Development</i>, vol. 3086, Springer,
    2026, pp. 165–76, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-5603-7_13">10.1007/978-1-0716-5603-7_13</a>.
  short: T. Jacob, H. Ai, M. Quint, in:, Root Development, Springer, New York, 2026,
    pp. 165–176.
date_created: 2026-10-11T22:02:03Z
date_published: 2026-10-01T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-10-12T09:13:28Z
day: '01'
department:
- _id: JiFr
doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-5603-7_13
external_id:
  pmid:
  - '42814359'
fulldoi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-5603-7_13
intvolume: '      3086'
keyword:
- Root growth
- Root development
- Root meristem
- Cell cycle
- Cell division
- S-phase
- EdU
- Arabidopsis thaliana
- Microscopy
language:
- iso: eng
month: '10'
oa_version: None
page: 165-176
place: New York
pmid: 1
publication: Root Development
publication_identifier:
  eisbn:
  - '9781071656037'
  eissn:
  - 1940-6029
publication_status: published
publisher: Springer
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
series_title: MIMB
status: public
title: EdU-Based Quantitative Analysis of Cell Proliferation in Arabidopsis Root Meristems
type: book_chapter
user_id: 2DF688A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
volume: 3086
year: '2026'
...