book chapter published yes Tilman Jacob author Haiyue Ai author 71a6871f-c08f-11ee-886c-c975579c368c Marcel Quint author JiFr department 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. Springer2026 eng Root growthRoot developmentRoot meristemCell cycleCell divisionS-phaseEdUArabidopsis thalianaMicroscopy 1940-6029 4281435910.1007/978-1-0716-5603-7_13 3086165-176 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>. 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> 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. 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>. 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> T. Jacob, H. Ai, M. Quint, in:, Root Development, Springer, New York, 2026, pp. 165–176. 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. 230862026-10-11T22:02:03Z2026-10-12T09:13:28Z